Silence of the Stars
by Shadier
Summary: StarClan hasn't spoken in moons. Trust between the Clans by the Sea is dwindling. A strange force stalks the groves and prairies of the clan's territories. Amidst the rising storm, four kits are born that must find their own path to saving their home and kin. (possible mature themes)
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

CoveClan

Clan of Beaches, Tidepools, and Dunes

Leader: Songstar- gray tortoiseshell she-cat with pale golden eyes

Deputy: Cranecall- white tom with a black smudge on his nose and green eyes

Medicine Cat: Sunspots- Pale mottled brown she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Olivepaw- lanky pale gray tom with pale green eyes

Warriors:

Sandshift- cream tabby she-cat with brown eyes

Carpwhisker- small orange tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Sharkpaw- solid dark gray tom with a white belly and gray eyes

Palmfeather- tabby she-cat with a plumed tail and white paws and green eyes

Smokefur- long furred gray tabby tom with bright amber eyes

Apprentice: Shadowpaw- long furred white she-cat with black points and amber eyes

Conchshimmer- sleek-pelted cream she-cat with pale amber eyes

Cliffclaw: large tabby tom with amber eyes

Vinetail: pale brown she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Queens:

Redwillow- solid red-brown she-cat with pale amber eyes and white paws

Kits: Koikit, calico tom with pale blue eyes, and Saltkit, a white she-cat with black speckles and yellow eyes

Milkfur- creamy long-furred she-cat with amber eyes, permanent nursery resident

Elders:

Reedwhistle: dark tabby tom with amber eyes and a kinked tail

Stormbreak: Dark gray she-cat with a twisted back leg

GladeClan

Clan of Meadows, Living Oaks, and Ivy

Leader: Thrushstar- Mottled brown tom with gray eyes

Deputy: Skyfern- pale gray fluffy she-cat with pale blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Goldenfur- gold tom with golden eyes

Warriors:

Grassleap- skinny tan tabby tom with brown-green eyes

Owlscreech- spotted brown she-cat with a white belly and face and large yellow eyes

Otterpelt- sleek dark brown tom with a white chest and brown eyes

Hickoryfur- brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Balmleaf- pale gray-brown she-cat with green eyes

Beechbranch- gray tabby tom with darker spots and blue eyes

Twinkletoe- orange tabby tom with white toes and murky green eyes

Queens:

Stingclaw- white she-cat with ginger patches and amber eyes

Kits: Pantherkit, black thick-furred tom with green eyes, and Basilkit, small creamy she-cat with pale green eyes

Laurelflower- pale ginger she-cat with golden eyes

Kits: Bluebellkit, a pale blue-gray she-cat with golden eyes, and Weedkit, a mottled tan and ginger tom with amber eyes

Elders:

Murkclaw- brown tabby tom with green eyes

FloodClan

Clan of Everglades, Cypress, and Swamp

Leader: Frondstar- slender black she-cat with bright green eyes

Deputy: Flamepatch- yellow tom with russet patches and brown eyes

Medicine Cats:

Irisblossom- white and gray she-cat with blue eyes

Rosethorn- dull gray-brown tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Skybird- long furred white she-cat with sky blue eyes

Apprentice: Thistlepaw- gray she-cat with silver eyes

Newtspeckle- orange tom with red speckles and amber eyes

Apprentice: Cypruspaw- tan tom with darker stripes on his legs and tail and brown eyes

Ravenpetal- sleek black she-cat with a plumed tail and pale amber-yellow eyes

Gatorfang- bulky mottled brown tom with murky green eyes

Troutstorm- pale blue-gray tom with gray eyes

Pythontail- muscular brown she-cat with darker splotches and amber eyes

Looptail- brown tabby tom with yellow eyes and a twisted tail

Copperpelt- copper colored tom with white paws and tail-tip and amber eyes

Aloenose- pale tan tabby she-cat with darker points and green eyes

Soilfur- dark russet tom with a darker stripe down his back and brown eyes

Queens:

Fernfeather- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Kits: Mudkit- mottled brown she-cat with brown eyes, Mosskit, a mottled tan tabby she-cat with green eyes, and Eaglekit- russet tom with a white nose and yellow eyes

Elders:

Pricklefur- spiky brown tom with golden eyes

SteppeClan

Clan of Prairies, Pine Fields, and Fields

Leader: Runningstar- brown and white tom with yellow eyes

Deputy: Cowfur- shaggy white tom with black spots and dark eyes

Medicine Cat: Mellowsong- gray tabby tom with white paws and gray eyes

Warriors:

Spottedowl- speckles brown she-cat with amber eyes

Tulipleaf- yellow she-cat with white feet and white face with yellow eyes

Bubbleleap- white tom with blue eyes

Flashheart- white and yellow tom with green eyes

Lightfern- pale yellow she-cat with amber eyes

Watersplash- gray-blue tom with yellow eyes

Riverstripe- blue-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Snakescale- black tom with a white belly and neck and yellow eyes

Queens:

Poppyspots- russet she-cat with orange spots and amber eyes and a stubby tail

Kits: Lynxkit- russet tom with a stumpy tail, white paws, black ears, and amber eyes

Elders:

Blacktooth- yellow-orange tom with blue eyes


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Koikit opened his eyes to the milky gray dawn light filtering through the nursery's roof. Yawning, he blinked his eyes to clear away the sleep and rolled onto his side.

His mother, Redwillow, was still sleeping, purring subconsciously in her nest. Koikit basked in the contentment he was feeling for a moment, curled up against his mother's warm belly and his sister, Saltkit's, slumbering pelt.

The silence only lasted a moment, though. Koikit, already bored, jumped up and started shaking Saltkit's shoulder.

"Saltkit! Wake up!" he meowed urgently. Still with her eyes closed, the small she-cat mreowed a sound of annoyance, turning away from her brother and covering her face with her paw.

"We have to get up now!" Koikit pushed, trying to keep his voice quiet. "It's sunrise! We can go see the sun in the ocean."

At first, Koikit thought he would have to go out on his own. Just when he was about to leave, Saltkit gave a moan of resignation and stretched her forlegs out. "Okay, I'm up," she meowed, kneading her tiny claws.

Koikit made a small bounce towards her and butted her shoulder with his head. "We have to hurry!" he said eagerly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she meowed. "Just don't wake up Redwillow. She would never let us go to the beach."

Koikit could barely contain his excitement as he bounded for the nursery entrance. He peeked around the edge of the driftwood that formed the framework of the den and checked the camp for any cats that might be awake.

The camp, which was a shallow hollow of sand hidden between the thick grass of the surrounding dunes, was empty. From around the edge of the hollow, he heard the soft snorings and sleep-sounds of his still-dozing clanmates- the warriors den with it's roof of woven grass, and the elder's den right beside it, also made of woven grass but with an adjucent flat rock that was perfect for sunning. On the other side of the camp, close to the nursery, was the medicine den. It was nestled into a dip in the ground, and was covered with a large branch of driftwood, with a roof crafted out of knotted sand-vine.

Koikit crept further out of the den, and looked just behind the hollow. There was the leaders den, a strange building formed out of a curved piece of wood- from the stories he had heard, Koikit knew that twolegs used these contraptions to go out onto water and stay afloat. The den was located behind the main camp, farther from the ocean- and closer to the other clans.

 _CoveClan really is the greatest clan,_ Koikit thought with pride. _I bet the other clan leaders put plenty of warriors between them and us!_

"Ready." Koikit jumped at the voice, and realized with relief it was just Saltkit. She flicked him with her tail in amusement. "Are we just gonna stare all day, or do you want to see the ocean?"

"I was waiting on you!" Koikit chirped back. Taking one last check to make sure the coast was clear, the calico tom skittered quietly across the camp.

He stopped beside the stream that gurgled near the medicine den, which marked the edge of camp. _Follow the stream to the ocean._ Even though no one had taught him how to get to the ocean, he had heard enough of the warrior's and elder's talk to know that this stream fed out to the sea, and that following it was the easiest way out of camp. Koikit girmaced at the thought of having to traverse through the prickly dune grass that surrounded the camp on all other sides.

When Koitkit looked up, his sister was sniffing at the water a few tail lengths downstream. "I wonder if there are fish in here," Saltkit mused.

"We can find out when we come back," Koikit replied, bouncing over to her. "The sun's almost rising!"

The two followed the stream, looking like shadows in the soft milky light of dawn. Early rising seagulls called over them as they flew overhead, flying the same direction that they were walking. _We're almost there!_ Koikit thought excitedly. He took off into a run, almost tripping over his own paws. Saltkit followed right beside him; Koikit looked over, and saw her eyes were shining.

After only a few moments of running, the stream began to fan out, until it was barely a paw deep. Koikit's heart beat faster as he saw what must be the beach, a huge expanse of white-gray sand that seemed to stretch on forever. He still couldn't see the ocean, though.

"Where's the water?" he asked. The ocean was supposed to be as big as the sky; how could they possibly have missed it?

"It's beyond the sand," Saltkit meowed thoughtfully. "The sand has hills. We'll be able to see it if we get up higher."

Without skipping a beat, the white she-cat bounded up the dune on their side, and Koikit followed. His had to slit his eyes against the grass and the bushes poking his face, and he was depending more on following Saltkit's scent than his own eyesight. After what felt like an eternity, the bushes thinned out until there was only sand grass, fine and soft under his paws. He shook the twigs out of his fur.

When he looked up, he saw that Saltkit was staring out at the beach. Koikit bounded over and gasped.

"It's... _huge."_

The ocean was undulating with a kind of rhythm and force that Koikit could never have imagined. The waves crashed and lapped at the shore, creating a music that seemed to fill him up from his nose to his tail tip. The sun was moments from cresting the shoreline, and a faint gold light lined the edge of the ocean.

The two watched in enraptured silence as the sun rose. Koikit had never seen the sun be so many different colors- first it was red, bleeding into the clouds and turning them pink and purple and orange. Then it glowed golden, as the sky mellowed and turned yellowy. And finally yellow, and the sky blue, and it was morning.

"Well," Saltkit finally said, "we should probably go back to camp."

The sea danced. Golden ripples dappled the surface, while seagulls wheeled over the beach.

"Yeah," Koikit meowed back.

They looked at each other, and then threw themselves down the hill, through grass and slippery sand. Koikit tumbled, rolled down the hill a few tail lengths, and then landed still running. He was so blissful he barely even realized he tripped in the first place.

He leapt off the dune and onto the sand. It shifted out from under him, and for a few panicked heartbeats Koikit thought he was going to sink right in and drown. With a yelp, he landed face-first in the sand and tumbled head-over-heels.

He stood up and shook the sand out of his pelt. _Thank StarClan the sand didn't suck us in!_ he thought. Up ahead he could see Saltkit, still running towards the ocean. One last good shake, and he was off again.

Koikit stopped at the edge of the water. It pulsed and washed toward him, lapping at his paws. He stood staring at the water flooding around his paws, completely enraptured. Sand glittered between the foam. _It's like the sea is calling me!_

Suddenly, something hit hit from the side. He yelped as he was bowled over and his head went under water. For a terrifying moment he thought he would drown, but he regained his footing and stood up.

Saltkit was looking at him smugly, her tail lashing playfully. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she mewed.

"Seriously beautiful," Koikit purred back. He leapt at his sister. With a playful shriek she hopped away, splashing into the surf. Koikit chased her, bounding through the waves. He didn't realize they were getting deeper and deeper every second.

Before he knew it, Koikit was barely able to touch the ground. Panic started growing in his chest. He had been swimming before, but that was only in the sheltered pool that ran beside the camp, and his mother had been watching them while they practiced. This was the _ocean,_ with tides and currents and _sharks._

"Hey, Saltkit, we should head back now, I think," Koikit called urgently. She was farther out than he was, paddling furiously but confidently.

"You just can't catch me!" she yelled back.

"Seriously, they whole clan probably knows we're missing-,"

Suddenly Koikit felt the water seemingly reverse. The current pulled at his fur, trying to drag him out to sea. His claws dug into the sand, and a wave washed over his head. He held his place, holding his breath and praying that he wouldn't be washed out into the ocean. Then the water subsided. He coughed and shook his head, the salt stinging his eyes. When he could finally see again, he realized Saltkit was nowhere to be seen.

 _"Saltkit!,"_ he yowled. Despite his fear, he swam out farther, towards where he'd last seen her. "Saltkit, where are you?"

He saw a small white shape emerge from the water many fox lengths away. _Great StarClan, there's no way she can make it back on her own!_ Koikit's heart was racing as he paddled furiously towards his sister. Even though he had long legs for his age, he was still slow, and he could see his sister drifting farther and farther out, her head bobbing above the water as she tried to paddle against the current.

Koikit was about to give up home when he saw a dark shadow swimming quickly towards Saltkit. _It's a shark!_ he thought in defeat. Even if there was a chance Saltkit would be able to swim back, there was no way she could take on a shark.

Even from a distance, Koikit saw the water around Saltkit explode. He heard her tiny yelp, and he shut his eyes tight so he wouldn't see what happened next. _We should have never come out here,_ he wished.

He finally opened his eyes, and almost thought they were playing tricks on him. Instead of a small bloody spot and a shark fin swimming away, he saw a large gray she cat swimming towards him. After a moment, he realized it was his clan leader, Songstar- and Saltkit was riding on her back!

"Saltkit!" Koikit called as he treaded water. The two made their way towards him. Songstar was an amazing swimmer, Koikit noticed, and she had covered the distance that had seemed so impossible in what seemed like a few heartbeats.

In his joy, Koikit had forgotten that he had snuck out of camp to come see the sea. He realized that they were probably going to be in big trouble- and here was Songstar! His ears laid back as she reached him.

"Grab onto my pelt, Koikit," Songstar said in a surprisingly calm and soothing voice. "You must be tired. You've swam very far."

Feeling as helpless as the day he was born, and realizing how small he still was, Koikit hooked his claws into the older she-cat's silky tortoiseshell pelt. She fought the current with strong, even strokes, even with the weight of two kits on her back.

Koikit look at his sister. She was sitting with her eyes closed, shivering slightly. "Hey, Saltkit?" Koikit said quietly. He prodded her with one paw. She opened her eyes, looked at him, and coughed.

"I'm okay," she answered. "It's just... the current. It was so strong."

They didn't say any more until they reached shore. Songstar emerged onto the sand and allowed the two kits off her back before shaking her pelt dry.

"Now, kits," she meowed as she sat before them. "Time for the question I'm sure you were expecting. What are you doing out here?"

Koitkit's heart sank. Songstar was going to tell Redwillow they had been to the sea on their own and almost drowned. Redwillow wouldn't let them leave the nursery for days. _Songstar wouldn't delay our apprenticeship over this, would she?_ he wondered with a jolt.

"We wanted to see the sunrise," Saltkit spoke up. "We heard Sharkpaw and Shadowpaw talking about how the whole sky lights on fire, and we wanted to see it."

Songstar flicked her tail in annoyance, but Koikit thought he saw amusement in her eyes. "Well, was seeing the sunrise worth the price you almost paid?" she asked. "Saltkit, you could have drowned, and Koitkit, you would have been sisterless- and that's if you had been able to swim back on your own."

The two kit's dipped their heads. Koikit's face burned with shame. "We're sorry, Songstar," the tom kit murmured.

For a moment, Songstar was silent. Koikit peeked up at her, and he saw a slight smile on her face. The shiny hook on her ear- something that twolegs apparently used to lure fish, silver with a small red stone attached to the end- glittered in the morning sun.

"It's not like I don't know the allure of the sea, though," Songstar meowed. Koikit looked fully up at her, and her eyes were glimmering. "I may have snuck out of camp too, when I was very young."

Saltkit beamed. "No way! You snuck out to the ocean, too?"

"Oh yes," she purred. "Sunspots, my sister, and I snuck out when we were about your age- except, we wanted to see the ocean at night." Songstar's face suddenly became solemn. "Except, we weren't alone. We also had a brother then. We all went swimming, and just like you, Saltkit, he was washed away. Except no one was there to save him." Songstar sighed. "Promise me, kits, that you won't come out here again until you are made apprentices."

"We promise," the two said in unison. Koikit's heart ached for Songstar- he couldn't imagine life without Saltkit.

"Thank you," Songstar meowed. In a flash, her eyes lit up again. "Anyhow, I'm sure your mother is sick with worry for you. Let's go back to camp."

Songstar led the way, with the two kits following. On the treck back up to the dunes, Koikit found a pretty scallop shell, white with a slight pinkish-red tint around the edge. _Redwillow would love this for the den,_ Koikit thought, and picked it up to bring with him. _Maybe it'll help her not be so angry._

The three followed the river back the way they had came, but the walk back seemed a lot longer this time. As soon as they were rounding the bend into camp, Koikit heard a yowl. He saw Redwillow sprinting towards them, with their father, Carpwhisker, following her.

"Dear StarClan, I'm so glad you're okay!" the red queen meowed as she nuzzled her kits. Koikit pressed his fur to hers, happy to be home with his family. "Where on earth did you go? Have you got bees in your brain?"

"We're sorry, Redwillow," Saltkit meowed apologetically. "We'll never sneak out of camp again."

"You better not," Carpwhisker meowed. "What if either of you had gotten hurt?"

Saltkit and Koikit exchanged a look. Redwillow seemed to notice is and grew frantic. "What happened?" she meowed. "You two are wet- were you in the ocean?"

Koikit laid the shell down at Redwillow's paws. "I got you something," he meowed apologetically.

Songstar finally interjected. "They've had a rough morning," she meowed. "Saltkit was caught in a current, but luckily I was there to bring them in." Redwillow bristled and looked about to panic, but Songstar kept her even tone. "Trust me, Redwillow," she said quietly. "They've learned their lesson. I don't think any punishment is necessary."

 _I'm definitely not leaving camp again until I'm an apprentice!_ Koikit mentally agreed with her.

"Well... alright," Redwillow meowed hesitantly. Carpwhisker dipped his head towards his leader. "Thank you for bringing my kits home," he meowed.

Songstar dipped her head humbly. "Of course. The kits are the future of our clan," she meowed. She took one last look at the kits. "Stay out of trouble, young ones," she mreowed, and walked off towards the medicine den.

Carpwhisker licked the two kits over their ears. "Listen to your leader, kits," he meowed. Then he turned to face Redwillow. "I'm taking a hunting patrol to the tidepools. I'll see you tonight," he purred before leaving.

For the first time, Redwillow looked at the scallop. "Thank you for the shell, Koikit," she meowed. "I'll put it right in the nursery. It's beautiful."

Koikit beamed. "I'm glad you like it!"

"Why don't you two go get some prey?" the queen meowed. "You must be hungry."

"We are!" Koikit purred. The two kits bounded toward the fresh kill pile.

As Saltkit and Koikit shared a minnow and basked in the morning sunlight, a feeling of contentment washed over him. _I hope life will always be like this,_ he dreamed.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Mudkit sat perched on one of the many, many cyprus roots that overlooked the camp. On one side of her was her sister, Mosskit, grooming her ears with one paw, trying to look sophisticated despiter her stumpy tail and kit-fur. On her other side, Eaglekit was dangling from the root with his front paws, swinging his legs for fun. Mudkit herself was simply watching.

None of the FloodClan cats below paid any attention to the three kits sitting a few tail lengths over their camp. Mudkit couldn't remember the first time she had ventured into the roots and branchs; all the cats in the clan partially lived in the dense overgrowth of the groves.

Below, the medicine cats, Irisblossom and Rosethorn, were laying out some unidentifiable herbs to dry in one of the few patches of sunlight in the camp. Skybird was giving her apprentice, Thistlepaw, some pointers for her warrior's assement. Their father, Soilfur, was sharing tongues with Fernfeather, the two of them sprawled on the soft moss in front of the warrior's den. Pythontail and Gatorfang were sharing a large snake.

"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Mosskit mewed. She had just noticed Eaglekit's antics.

"Practicing hanging," Eaglekit replied. He dropped down until it looked like his paws would slip, but then he heaved himself back up so his chin was on the root.

Mosskit snorted. "You'll only be _hanging_ if you're _falling._ "

Mudkit nodded. "She has a point."

Eaglekit swung his legs up so he was curled around the bottom of the root. "C'mon, I'd like to see how well you two hang!" he meowed. He reached up a paw and batted at Mudkit's nose.

"Ugh, no thanks," Mosskit meowed.

Mudkit was just about to say something when a voice rang out around the camp. "What's a Steppeclan cat doing here?"

Eaglekit scrambled up the root and sat next to Mudkit. Down below, Ravenpetal was entering camp, with a large, unfamiliar tom at her side. Pythontail and Gatorfang had already surrounded the two, and Soilfur and Fernfeather bristled.

"How did this spy get into camp?" Gatorfang growled. He sheathed and unsheathed his claws, waiting for any sign to dig into the intruder. The black tom, though, looked unbothered.

Ravenpetal flicked her tail. "He's not a spy," she meowed. "I brought him here."

"For what reason?" A clear, strong voice pierced the air.

All three kits looked towards the leader's den, directly across the camp and only a few mouse lengths beneat them. Frondstar stepped out of her den and looked down at the cats gathered in the camp below.

Ravenpetal and the tom dipped their heads respectfully. "I'm glad you're here, Frondstar."

The leader ignored her. "For what reason have you brought in this SteppeClan cat?" she demanded.

Ravenpetal looked at the tom before continuing. "I've come to ask you to allow Snakescale to join FloodClan."

Mudkit felt lightning flash through her as she saw Frondstar's bright green eyes flash. "And why," she meowed coldly, "should I do that?"

Ravenpetal kept her nerve. "I'm with kit," she meowed bluntly.

By this time, most of the clan had gathered, and an audible gasp was heard around the camp. Mudkit could hardly believe her ears; Ravenpetal had always been extremely loyal to FloodClan, making sure everyone else had been fed before eating herself.

Frondstar glared at the two cats in the center of camp. "You dare to break the warrior code and take a mate from another clan?"

"There are some things one can not help doing," Ravenpetal retorted. "And there are some codes that must be broken."

"We have the code for a reason!" Pythontail yowled.

"Tell me," Frondstar continued. "Why should I not exile you, and allow you to succumb to the snakes and gators and sickness of the grove?"

"Because I carry kits," Ravenpetal meowed. She took a deep breath. "Anyone here can tell you how I've never been anything but loyal to FloodClan. I put myself last and the clan first. I've fought tooth and claw for the safety of my clanmates, and who I choose to love doesn't change that." She and Frondstar's eyes were locked. "Had Snakescale had not chosen to come with me, I never would have left for SteppeClan. This is my home. And I wish to raise my kits with the same loyalty and faithfulness I've always had." Ravenpetal took another breath; she was wrapping up her argument. "The fact is, you could exile me- but you'll lose two warriors, and the promise of new ones. You will have kit's blood on your paws and a severly weakened clan."

There was stunned silence for what seemed like moons. Mudkit couldn't help but admire Ravenpetal's resolve. Frondstar was still as stone.

"Your argument strikes true, Ravenpetal," the leader finally meowed. "You and your kits will be allowed to stay in FloodClan. As for Snakescale; his acceptance into FloodClan will take time, but it can begin with an oath. Snakescale, step forward."

The surly black tom took a few steps closer to the leader's den. He looked up and met Frondstar's eyes.

Frondstar stood up straight and tall, her green eyes piercing. "Do you, Snakescale, swear to live with your life in your paws for FloodClan, and to surrender all allegiance to your previous clan?"

Snakescale dipped his head. "With certainty."

Floodstar's voice rang around the camp. "Then with the authority given to me by StarClan, I accept you into the ranks of FloodClan. May you prove your loyalty."

Snakescale looked up again. "I will."

Frondstar flicked her tail. "This clan meeting is over. Newtspeckle, take Cypruspaw and show Snakescale around the territory. I want him to be FloodClan through-and-through by the time these kits come." And with that, Frondstar returned back to her den.

After that the clan began to disperse. Many of the warriors stared at Ravenpetal and Snakescale with suspicion, but the two seemed not to notice the hostility. The black she-cat's eyes were shimmering and Snakescale touched her nose before he went to tour the territory.

"Holy StarClan," Eaglekit finally mewed. "I can't believe all that just happened!"

"I can't believe Frondstar just let Snakescale into the clan!" Mosskit meowed as she groomed her ear. "It's absurd."

"It does give us more warriors," Mudkit meowed. "And in a few moons, new friends! We won't be the youngest kits anymore."

Mosskit rolled her eyes. "They'll never really be FloodClan cats, though," she meowed. "They'll get lost in the grove. They'll get eaten by gators."

"I hope not," Eaglekit meowed.

"Whatever. I just think that Snakescale should have stayed in Steppeclan, where he belongs. As if he'll ever learn to hunt here."

Mudkit purred. "Well, I think it's romantic that he would leave his clan to be with his mate and kits."

"You've got fluff on your head," Mosskit quipped.

Mudkit noticed Fernfeather standing below them. "It's time you kits got some sleep," she meowed. "It'll be getting dark soon."

The three kits bounded effortlessly down the roots, landing neatly on the ground beside their mother.

The four cats entered the nursery, and as Mudkit sank down into her nest and got settled, her mind wandered over the events of the day. What especially stood out to her were Ravenpetal's words.

 _There are some codes that must be broken..._

Before she knew it, Mudkit was asleep.

* * *

(Thanks to everyone that read the first chapter! The name 'Silence of the Stars' is more of a placeholder, and will probably be the name of the series once it's finished. I'm not even planning to name the book until it's finished, which will probably be a couple months? I hope y'all are enjoying so far and I can't wait to introduce you to the other clans!)


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Lynxkit stood tall and proud next to his mother, Poppyspots. The red she-cat was purring furiously as she groomed the tom's fur, making sure there wasn't a tangle to be seen. The clan was gathered in camp. Several cats were watching, half in and half out of their dens in the ground, waiting for Runningstar to formally call the meeting.

 _I can't believe I'm becoming an apprentice!_ Lynxkit thought. His heart was nearly pumping out of his chest. Before the end of the day, he would have ran the entire prairie, climbed up the tallest pine tree in the pine fields, caught a prairie dog or even an owl-

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneat the tallhill for a clan meeting!"

 _It's happening!_ Lynxkit screamed mentally. His pelt prickled. Runningstar, his brown pelt shiny and his white chest flashing in the morning sun, stood atop the tallhill. He looked down proudly as the clan came to attention.

"Clanmates!" he yowled once they had all gathered. "It's time a kit begins his training as a noble warrior of SteppeClan."

The clown yowled back in wild agreement. Lynxkit puffed his chest. _It's about time!_

Runningstar waited for the clan to quiet before continuing. "Today, Lynxkit begins his warrior training!" he boomed. The leader's eyes met Lynxkit's, and he felt a combination of pride and intimidation. _I'd hate to face Runningstar in battle,_ Lynxkit realized, and barely supressed a shudder.

"Lynxkit, step forward!"

The ruddy kit took a few steps towards his leader on sure paws.

Runningstar's eyes flashed. "Do you, Lynxkit of SteppeClan, swear to uphold the warrior code, and protect your clan with your life?"

"I do." Lynxkit was never so sure of anything in his life.

"Then by the power of StarClan, from now on you shall be called Lynxpaw. Your mentor shall be Cowfur." Runningstar turned to face his deputy, who was standing in the crowd close to Lynxpaw. "You trained Snakescale, and with his desertion, I think you deserve a new warrior to train."

A look of contented happiness was glued on Cowfur's face. He paced over to Lynxpaw and the two touched noses. "I can tell you're going to be a great apprentice," the tom rumbled.

"Lynxpaw! Lynxpaw!" the clan called racously. Lynxpaw was nearly bowled over by his clanmates as they pressed against his pelt in congratulations.

Finally the crowd died down. Runningstar, who had been waiting patiently, nodded. "Before this meeting comes to an end, I want to announce that patrols on the FloodClan border will be doubled. If any cat sees Snakescale attempting to return, he is to be turned back immediately." The large brown tom's ears slid back. "He is a traitor, and his presence will not be tolerated in SteppeClan territory."

Lynxpaw's own voice rose in agreement along with his clanmate's. He couldn't understand why any cat would want to leave the grass and sunlight of the steppes for the dank, dark wetness that FloodClan called their home.

"That ends this meeting," Runningstar meowed. "The patrols shall continue as normal." The large tom leapt from the tallhill, and the clan went back to their previous activities.

"So, Lynxpaw," Cowfur meowed. "Are you ready to see the territory?"

"Of course!" Lynxpaw replied. "Am I going to see the pine fields?"

Cowfur mreowed in amusement. "Yes. The pine fields border CoveClan, so we'll pass through them."

As the two exited the camp, Bubbleleap gave a wave of his tail. Lynxpaw and Cowfur waved back, and they exited the dirt hollow onto the prairie.

"The first thing you do when going into unfamiliar territory," Cowfur meowed, "is scent the air. It helps to have your mouth somewhat open." The shaggy black and white time crouched down next to Lynxpaw. "Tell me- what can you smell?"

 _This is my first lesson!_ Lynxpaw thought. He parted his jaws and scented the air. It was carrying a lush, salty smell on a dry wind. "It's hard to recognize..." Lynxpaw began. "Smells like... water? But it's different from the stream near camp. It's... salty."

"That'd be the sea," Cowfur replied patiently. "That means the wind is blowing from CoveClan's territory. We'll head that way first." Lynxpaw followed as his mentor led him through away from the camp through the prairie.

The steppes were a lot bigger than Lynxpaw could have ever expected. The fields stretched out on all directions, with some sort of forestry what must be a day's journey away. The apprentice had to watch his step to avoid gopher holes and sharp palm bushes, and for a moment he was afraid he wouldn't be able to make it all around the border. He couldn't remember ever having to walk for such a long period at a time, and he was panting by the time the pine trees became visible on the horizon.

"Are those the pine fields?" Lynxpaw asked breathlessly.

Cowfur nodded, his shaggy fur bobbing with the motion. "The trees look small from here, but just wait until we get closer."

The two continued their journey, and Lynxpaw saw how right Cowfur was. He stared at the trees as they grew closer. They seemed to touch the clouds, their rich sweet sappy smell getting stronger as they finally made it to the edge of the fields.

The pine trees, though tall, grew sparsely, with spaces the size of the camp between them. Ravens cawed from the trees, and the buzz of insects emanated from the branches.

"They're _huge_ ," Lynxpaw whispered. He remembered with slight embarassment how he had planned to climb to the top of one of the pines. _As if!_

"Has any cat ever climbed one of these?" he asked. There weren't even branches for many fox lengths up, and the ones that were there were far-between.

"Oh, yes," Cowfur answered. "Spottedowl is the most talented climber in SteppeClan- she's brought back hawks that fed the entire clan!" Cowfur purred fondly. "That'll ne part of your training, too, although there are many cats that don't bother climbing except in times of hunger."

"Huh." Lynxpaw continued to muse at the trees as they approached the CoveClan border.

The finally came to the end of the pine trees, and the grass made a stark change from sharp and dry to thin and green. There was a sharp, salty smell in the air, and the smell of other cats was heavy.

"Is this the border?" Lynxpaw asked.

Cowfur nodded. "This is sea grass, so it belongs to CoveClan. If you climb one of these trees, you'd be able to see the ocean, on a clear day."

"Can we try it?" Lynxpaw asked excitedly.

"Not right now," the deputy purred. "You'll need practice before you can climb that high!" Cowfur mreowed to himself and shook his pelt. "What you can do is refresh the border markings."

Lynxpaw did as Cowfur said, and then the two began following the border. For a good while they didn't see any other cats; then, in the distance, he saw a small hunting patrol bring down a seagull. It was sort of amazing, he thought, how the three cats managed to bring down the odd, flappy creature, and even more amazing than that was the sound the bird was making. The patrol pinned it down, wings flapping and feathers flying, and then it was dead. As the two continued their walk and the cats faded into the distance, Lynxpaw looked back and saw them standing erect with their tails and ears perked, curiously watching as they continued their journey.

Lynxpaw raised his nose. There was again the smell of water, but this time it smelled dewy and lush. _It smells like the water back home,_ the tom thought.

As if reading his mind, Cowfur swung his tail and said, "we're coming to the river soon. It's the biggest one around here; we won't have to cross it now, but be careful. It'll sweep you away to sea if you can't get out."

Lynxpaw shivered at the idea. "I'll remember that," he meowed.

They got to the corner of SteppeClan territory, a sharp corner with CoveClan territory on one side and the river on the other.

"What's on the other side?" Lynxpaw wondered aloud.

Cowfur trotted over to the water and lapped at a calm eddy that had formed. It was a few moments before he spoke.

"Over there... that's FloodClan." Cowfur froze in place. Lynxpaw felt slightly uneasy as a ripple of agitation and anger coursed through Cowfur's pelt.

Lynxpaw stared over at the other side of the river. Trees grew into the bank, their roots gnarled and submerged, and there was a large snake basking in the branches. The smell of mud and swampwater drifted over from the other side. Lynxpaw wrinkled his nose.

"Why would Snakescale leave SteppeClan for _that?_ " the ruddy tom asked in vague disgust.

Cowfur lashed his tail. "Snakes belong in the swamp," he growled. He shook his thick pelt and seemed to feel a little bit better. "Love, for some cats, is a powerful thing," he continued. "I just can't understand why Snakescale couldn't have found a mate within our clan."

Lynxpaw flicked his stub of a tail. "It seems selfish of him. We don't have a lot of warriors right now."

Cowfur nodded. "It was selfish." He gazed across the water for a moment. The snake slipped off its sunning place and into the water. The older tom flicked his ears in a done-with-the-conversation motion.

The two continued silently along the river, and the grove of the FloodClan territory turned into that of GladeClan's meadows. Lynxpaw breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers dotting the fields. He lifted his nose to the air and breathed in the smell of nectar, pollen, grass... and other cats.

Lynxpaw stood erect. He swivelled his ears towards the smell, further up the river, and could just barely make out the shape of several cats in the middle of the river, standing on the rocks that poked out of the water. "Who's that?" he whispered. Cowfur rushed to stand next to him, his jaws parted and his tail flicking in agitation.

"GladeClan," Cowfur answered. He took a small, anxious step forward. "They're allowed in the river, but..."

The deputy was interrupted by a yowl. One of the cats had scared a duck out of the brush, and had succeeded in pinning it down- on SteppeClan territory.

Lynxpaw was about to ask what the should do when his mentor let out a low growl. "Follow me," he said in a low voice. "Don't be the first to draw claws. And if it comes to a fight, I want you to run back to camp and tell Runningstar. There's a whole patrol over there; we won't be able to take them on on our own. Could you find your way home?"

The ruddy tom gulped and nodded. His heart was beating out of his chest, and his stomach felt like he had swallowed a bees nest; before he had a chance to prepare, Cowfur was barrelling across the grass. _I wish I had some battle training,_ Lynxpaw wished vaguely as he set his legs into motion.

Cowfur let out a ferocious yowl. The GladeClan patrol looked up, their eyes wild and their pelts fluffed at the sight of the bulky black and white tom rushing them. There were three of them, all looking old enough to be warriors; an orange tabby tom with a kinked tail, a small, fluffy gray she-cat, and the cat who had caught the duck, a white she-cat with ginger patches. The cats seemed for a moment like they would flee, but the patched she-cat picked up the duck and leapt away from the bank onto one of the river stones.

"That's SteppeClan prey!" Cowfur barked at the warriors. The cat with the duck stood silent, holding her prey, and Lynxpaw's pads itched with anger at the mocking look in her eyes.

"Come now, Cowfur," the small gray she-cat meowed. She leapt onto a rock closer to the two SteppeClan cats. "That duck belongs to GladeClan. Any kit could tell you that ducks don't live in the desert!" The she-cats eyes sparkled smugly.

Cowfur growled. "You know very well that's now how the warrior code works, Skyfern," he snarled. "I expected more out of a deputy. It was on _our_ territory. It belongs to SteppeClan."

Lynxpaw suddenly noticed that the lanky orange tom had approached and was standing on the rock next to the white she-cat. "What are you and your apprentice gonna' do?" he hissed. "He looks like a kit!"

Lynxpaw couldn't help but let a low growl rumble in his throat. Cowfur didn't bother with a reprimand. "Drop the duck and go back to your camp," he demanded.

"Is that a challenge?" she meowed innocently.

Cowfur dropped into a crouch. "Get other cats," Cowfur murmured to Lynxpaw. In a heartbeat, the deputy let out a screech and threw himself at Skyfern. The apprentice had just enough time to see them tumble into the water before he turned tail and raced through the prairie.

 _I need to get to camp,_ he thought as he sprinted. _Cowfur can't win this fight on his own. And if he gets washed away, he could drown..._

Lynxpaw's chest was burning. He worried he wouldn't be able to make it to camp before his lungs gave out, and he could feel his pawpads prickling as he flew over the prairie. Not even halfway back to camp he picked up on the smell of a SteppeClan patrol. _Thank StarClan,_ he thought with relief nas he adjusted his path.

He released a yowl of triumph as the patrol came into view. Spottedowl, Watersplash. and his apprentice Grasspaw all looked up at his screech. Noticing something wrong, they ran to meet him.

"Where's Cowfur?" Watersplash asked with concern. Lynxpaw stood for a few moments, straining to regain his breath.

"GladeClan... stealing food... Cowfur challenged them." The tom coughed as his breathing racked his frame. _Dear StarClan, it hurts..._

Spottedowl stepped forward, her eyes full of concern. "Are you feeling alright?" she mewed. "Can you show us where they are?"

Lynxpaw nodded. "Yeah... I think so. Follow me!"

Again, the reddish tom sprinted across the prairie, this time with three cats around him, ready to fight.

The patrol came into sight. Cowfur had secured the duck somehow and had carried it back to the SteppeClan bank. He was defending it from the other three cats, and Lynxpaw was shocked to see that one of his ears was gushing blood, the tip flopping lifelessly in the wind.

" _Attack!"_ Spottedowl screeched. She, Grasspaw, and Watersplash charged down the hill towards the intruders. Lynxpaw wondered for a moment if he should follow; then he remembered Cowfur's ear, and he followed his clanmates.

Watersplash and Grasspaw were dealing with the orange tom, and Spottedowl had bowled the thieving white and ginger she-cat away from Cowfur and was clawing her stomach with her back legs. Cowfur was still dealing with Skyfern, though, and despite the size difference between the two cats, the GladeClan deputy still seemed to have the upper paw. Cowfur was crouched with his belly to the ground, hissing at the smaller she-cat. Suddenly Skyfern reared up and came down hard on the tom, pressing her paws into his throat.

 _She's going to kill him!_ Lynxpaw panicked. Not thinking, he threw himself at the gray she-cat, leaping on her back and knocking her over. She screamed and rolled over, crushing him, but he managed to keep his claws hooked into her pelt. He gritted his teeth as she stood up and jumped around wildly, trying desperately to shake him off.

 _All this over a duck,_ he thought as he began to lose his grip. _I can't hold on, and then GladeClan is going to kill me and Cowfur-_

"GladeClan! Retreat!" Skyfern yowled. She bolted for the river; Lynxpaw slipped from her back, his claws aching and his ears ringing. In heartbeats, the GladeClan cats were bounding gracefully rock-to-rock across the river.

"Cowfur!" Lynxpaw meowed. He turned to look at his mentor. The large shaggy tom coughed and stood to his feet. "I'm fine," he croaked. "It looks worse than it is."

"You're lucky GladeClan cats are so small," Watersplash said , his eyes wide. "Three cats on one? GladeClan has no honor!"

"Come on," Spottedowl meowed, nudging Cowfur. "We need to get you to Mellowsong."

"Alright, alright," Cowfur mumbled. "I could really use a couple poppy seeds right now."

The patrol started their journey back, with Spottedowl in the lead, carrying the hard-earned duck, followed by Watersplash and Grasspaw, and Cowfur and Lynxpaw bringing up the rear. The apprentice supported the deputy, letting the injured tom lean on his shoulder.

"You did well today," Cowfur said quietly. His voice was still raspy from Skyfern's attempt to suffocate him. "I might be dead right now if you hadn't managed to find a patrol so quickly." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "I'm proud to call you my apprentice."

"I know I wasn't suppoed to fight," Lynxpaw meowed. He realized how sore his body was from the exercise of the day. "But I saw your ear bleeding, and..."

"You did the right thing," Cowfur said. There was an amount of confident certainty in his voice. "Any cat can follow the warrior code. It takes a true warrior to listen to intuition."

Suddenly Lynxpaw realized that the camp was in sight. Spottedowl yelped and ran towards it, calling the medicing cat, Mellowsong, out of his den. Cowfur nodded. "I'll be alright. Thank you, Lynxpaw. Get some prey; you've worked hard," he meowed.

Lynxpaw, still sore but overall satisfied, did as his mentor said and tucked into a mouse. _I wonder if all clans are as vicious as GladeClan,_ he wondered with a shudder. _Their deputy almost committed murder!_


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Basilkit stood awkwardly beside her brother at the entrance to the medicing den. Pantherkit didn't seem bothered by what was happening inside; he was swatting at a cicada that was traversing the thick tree branch. Inside the den, their mother, Stingclaw, was talking to the GladeClan medicine cat.

"Can you watch the kits for me, Goldenfur?" she was asking. "I'd like to go out on a hunting patrol."

Basilkit could just see the tom's shimmering golden fur through the woven boughs of the den. "You know I have no problem watching your kits, Stingclaw," he was answering. "But is there some reason Laurelflower can't watch them?"

"That queen can barely watch her own kits," Stingclaw replied, and Basilkit knew she was rolling her eyes. "I had to stop Bluebellkit from falling off a branch the other day. And Weedkit keeps trying to climb to the ground! Honestly, I don't know how they haven't wandered off yet."

Basilkit shuffled her paws. It always made her uncomfortable when her mother talked badly of the other queen, who had always been kind to her, if a little bit forgetful.

After a brief pause, the medicing cat replied. "Fair enough. Alright Stingclaw, I'll keep an eye on them. Have fun."

Stingclaw purred and nudged Goldenfur's cheek with her nose. "Thanks. You're the best!" The white and ginger queen turned to her kits, her eyes glowing, and nuzzled Basilkit's cheek.

"I'll be back soon, sweets," she purred. "And I'll bring you back something special to eat!"

Pantherkit bumped heads with Stingclaw. "Can I come?" he meowed hopefully.

"Not this time," Stingclaw meowed, "but very soon you'll both be apprentices, and we'll all hunt together." After that, Stingclaw slipped between her kits, and continued on her way to the bottom of the great trees that made up the GladeClan camp.

"Be safe!" Basilkit called after her.

Goldenfur beckoned the two kits into his den. Even though Basilkit had spent a good amount of time here over the moons, it still amazed her. The den was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside. It was nestled between two forked tree branches, each branch a tail length thick. The space in between was crafted from woven branches, many layers and strong enough to support many cats. Half the den was covered with a loose canopy of branches and vines, and the other half was left open to allow sick cats to bask in the sun. Herbs and cobwebs hang from the sealing and on the wall, fastened to the walls using grass and vines. The whole den had a unique nice smell, like herbs and honey and dust.

"So, Pantherkit," Goldenfur asked, bending down to be at the kit's level.

"So, Goldenfur," the black kit meowed emphatically.

"We've got a cicada problem in here," the medicine cat meowed. "I'm afraid they're going to eat my herbs. Do you think you can catch them all?"

Pantherkit's pelt sparkled and his eyes lit up. "I'll eat all of 'em!" he mock growled, crouching and flicking his gaze, searching for the pesky cicadas.

"I ddn't say you had to eat them, but..." Goldenfur meowed, but the small spotted tom was already stalking a particularly noise insect. The golden tom sighed and turned to Basilkit. "Well, at least he's learning. Do you want to help your brother, Basilkit? I'm going to be cleaning the cobwebs, if you'd like to help me."

Basilkit nodded. She always prefferred helping Goldenfur with his duties over playing prey games.

Goldenfur led her to the back corner of the medicine den. Basilkit's pelt prickled uneasily as she saw the spiderwebs hanging on the ceiling. They were thick and white, and she could see several small, fat spiders climbing through the webs. There were several flies and moths, shrivelled and lifeless, stuck to the surface.

"You have to clean _that?_ " Basilkit asked increduously.

Goldenfur purred in amusement. "Well I certainly can't use them when they're covered in bugs! And when an injury is life threatening, I don't have time to clean them." Goldenfur propped himself against the wall, standing on his hind legs, and hooked a careful claw on one of the cobwebs. He pulled it from the rest of the webbing and carried it down to Basilkit.

"Start taking the bugs off this one while I get another," the tom meowed. Basilkit set to her task, gingerly plucking at the dried husks of the moths.

Goldenfur returned to the floor, with another large segment of web. "You're doing a good job," he meowed. "I was afraid of spiders when I was an apprentice. I almost had to take the path of a warrior because of it!" the golden tom purred fondly.

"Are the cicadas really eating the herbs?" Basilkit asked suddenly.

"What?" Goldenfur asked with a look of confusion. His face relaxed as he remembered what he had told Pantherkit.

"Oh, right. No, cicadas eat sap, not plants."

Basilkit peeked over her shoulder to see if her brother had heard, but he was completely occupied with a cicada buzzing on the opposite wall. "He thinks he's saving the clan," she mreowed with a note of amusement.

"He has a lion's heart," Goldenfur agreed. "He'll make a great warrior one day." Goldenfur subtly shifted his gaze up. "How about you? Do you want to be a warrior?"

Basilkit shrugged. "I don't know," she meowed, concentrating on a particularly stuck beetle. "I don't like chasing, or pouncing. But I supposed I could do it."

Goldenfur opened his mouth to say something, when a voice rose up from outside camp. Basilkit rushed to the entrance with the medicine cat right behind her and looked outside. Coming up branch that was the entrance to camp was Skyfern, the GladeClan deputy, her back bleeding and fluffy fur dissheveled. Behind her was Twinkletoe, looking more angry than hurt, and behind them...

" _Stingclaw!_ " Pantherkit yowled, rushing out of then den and across the tree branches to meet the battered queen. She raised her head weakly, and Basilkit's heart skipped a beat when she saw the blood dripping from her stomach.

"You know what goldenrod looks like, right?" Goldernfur asked sternly. _Yellow flowers, thin leaves-_ Basilkit nodded confidently. "Alright. Chew up the leaves into a pulp. That'll make a good poultice." The medicine cat bounded to the wounded patrol, and Basilkit returned to the den.

 _Goldenrod, goldenrod..._ Basilkit thought, anxiously searching for the herb. After a moment she found it, secured to the far wall with a piece of cobweb. She retrieved it and began shewing furiously.

She had just finished by the time Stingclaw entered the den, Goldenfur supporting her on one side and Pantherkit on the other. Her fur was dull and she limped painfully. Basilkit scooped the poultice up as Goldenfur helped Stingclaw to the ground.

"Can you apply this poultice, Basilkit?" Goldenfur asked. "I need to see to Skyfern. It should be about a claw length's deep."

The medicine cat turned to attend to the deputy. Basilkit looked at her mother and felt her stomach drop. The queen was lying on her side, eyes closed, and her fur was dyed with blood. Pantherkit was pressed against her side, staring at his mother with panic in his eyes. _I can't do this,_ Basilkit thought, squeezing her eyes shut. _What if the blood washes the poultice out? What if-_

Her paws worked separately from her thoughts. She deftly scooped up the chewed plant matter and pressed it into her mother's wounds, and she realized they were a lot shallower than they had looked. She smeared it into the cuts, and noticed that blood was trickling through the cracks.

 _Oh no oh no oh no oh no-_

"Cobwebs?" Basilkit yipped the question. Goldenfur nodded, and the cream colored kit grabbed a piece of the recently-harvested cobweb. She pressed it over the poultice, and the webbing soaked the blood up thirstily.

Pantherkit looked up at his sister with admirating in his eyes. "Wow, you did really good!" he meowed.

Stingclaw's eyes fluttered open and she craned her neck to look at Basilkit. Her gaze turned toward her wound. "Did you do this?" she asked, flicking her tail towards her belly.

"Goldenfur told me how," Basilkit meowed with a hint of pride.

The medicine cat turned back to the two. He inspected the wound and the covering carefully, causing Basilkit's paws to prickle with anxiety.

"You could've used more poultice," Goldenfur said, still looking the wound over. "But what you used will work. You also did a great job with the covering."

Basilkit's chest swelled with pride. Goldenfur offered Stingclaw a poppy seed, which she accepted gratefully.

"What happened?" came a concerned voice from the medicine den entrance. Thrushstar entered the den, immediately coming over to touch noses with his mate, Skyfern.

"SteppeClan challenged us over a duck," Skyfern said with a sad purr. "It was in the river, and Stingclaw caught it fairly. SteppeClan had no right to it." Her tail lashed weakly. "One of their mangy apprentices nearly shredded my pelt off!"

"Don't get wound up," Thrushstar chided her. "You're healing."

The fluffy gray she-cat's pelt puffed in agitation. "SteppeClan should be punished! They can't get away with stealing prey."

Basilkit shuddered; something about the way the deputy was acting made her uneasy. She seemed defensive, and deeply angry. Thrushstar didn't seem to notice.

"Goldenfur!" Skyfern meowed. The golden tom approached her, and Skyfern beckoned for her mate to come closer. The three whispered amongst themselves for a little bit. Afterwards, Thrushstar approached Basilkit.

"Goldenfur tells me that you've been helping him with his medicing cat duties," he meowed. Behind him, the medicing cat was looking at her, glowing with pride. The leader continued. "Would you like to follow the path of becoming a medicine cat?"

Goldenfur stepped forward. "It's a huge dedication," he warned. "You will never be able to take a mate or have kits, and the lives of your clanmates will be in your paws. You must also always have your ears and eyes open to the signs of StarClan."

Basilkit hesitated. She couldn't imagine the pressure of that responsibility, or the guilt of being unable to save one of the clanmates she loved. Then she looked down at her mother, by now sleeping soundly, and she knew what her path had to be.

"Yes," Basilkit breathed surely. "I want to heal. I want to see StarClan, and bring their words to my clan."

Thrushstar nodded. "Very well. At the time of your apprenticeship, you will be assigned to Goldenfur.

Pantherkit leapt up and rubbed aginst Basilkit's pelt to congratulate her. "That's so cool! You'll get to meet StarClan. You'll have to tell me all about it!"

As Basilkit basked in her brother's admiration, she looked back to where Thrushstar and Skyfern were sitting. The leader was sharing tongues with his mate, gently washing her ears in contentment.

The deputy, though, was staring with at her. Basilkit's heart when cold when she saw the smug smile, the cold flashing of her eyes, as she stared her down. In her eyes was the cold and hungry calculation of a cat the moment before it leaps upon it's prey and snaps it's neck.

 _She's planning something,_ Basilkit thought with a sense of dread, _and I just became part of it._

* * *

 _Hi everyone! Thanks for reading. Now that you've been introduced to all the clans, I wanted to delve a little bit into the world of these clans by the sea._

 _These clans are loosely based off the enviroments of the southern United States, specifically Florida and Georgia. I've put together some image sets that are what I had in mind when creating the different territories (in case my descriptions weren't top-notch), and you can see them here (copy and paste without spaces)._

 _CoveClan: sta. sh_ _/0ytpapcv3za_

 _FloodClan:_ _sta. sh_ _/01etbp2241un_

 _SteppeClan:_ _sta. sh_ _/01ty5ctcv1nn_

 _GladeClan:_ _sta. sh_ _/01aahjjahx0n_

 _Again, thank you all for reading and your reviews. I'm really glad you're liking my little fanfic! If you have any questions about the layout of the camps or territories, character questions, or anything else, don't feel shy about leaving a review or messaging me. See you all in Chapter Five!_


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Koipaw! Saltpaw! Koipaw! Saltpaw!"

Koipaw basked in the warmth of his clan's cheering. He could feel his mentor, Palmfeather, purring beside him; she seemed just as proud as he was. His sister was on the high rock, standing next to Songstar.

 _I can't believe Saltpaw is going to be trained by our clan leader!_ he thought. His sister looked ready to burst, a grin plastered on her face as she stood next to the elegant tortoiseshell leader. _She's so lucky._

It wasn't long before the cheering broke off and the clan went back to their business. "This must be so exciting for you," Palmfeather mreowed. "I remember my apprenticeship ceremony! I was so nervous." The she-cat purred. "Anyway, I figured I would show you the border, and then we'll stop at the tide pools on the way back and try hunting."

"Mind if we join you?" Songstar asked, approaching the two. Saltpaw was beside her, tail twitching with excitement.

"Of course!" Palmfeather replied. "I'm sure these two would love to go on another out-of-camp trip together."

Koipaw felt his face grow hot. That adventure to the sea seemed like so long ago, even though it had been less than a moon.

Saltpaw padded up to Koipaw, eyes alight. "I can't wait to see the edge of our territory," she meowed. "Do you think we'll see any other clan cats?"

"They better not step foot on our territory," Koipaw growled. He lowered himself into his best hunter's crouch. "I'll shred 'em!"

Palmfeather led the way to the camp entrance, Koipaw bounding along beside her. Saltpaw and Songstar paced a few cat lengths behind them. Instead of following the river towards the ocean, Palmfeather signalled for them to follow the opposite way, past the leader's den.

"Don't forget to always be scenting the air," Songstar meowed, walking up to join them. Saltpaw padded over to walk next to Koipaw. "You don't want anything to sneak up on you, be it cat or beast."

Koipaw parted his jaws and smelled the air. The familiar smell of salt and sweet sea decay was prominent, along with that of fresh water and grass.

"I don't smell anything different," Saltpaw meowed, echoing Koipaw's thoughts.

"You will," Palmfeather mreowed.

The stream got wider and wider, and before long it joined into a river. "This is the part of the river where you need to be careful," Palmfeather warned. "Gators and snakes wait to snatch up cats here."

Saltpaw wrinkled her nose. "What's a gator?" she asked.

Songstar rotated her head, scanning the water's surface. "They're huge, scaly beasts that can hide in the water. A full-grown cat could fit in one's mouth with room to spare, and their jaws are full of fangs as big as minnows."

Koipaw shrank away from the riverbank. He half expected one of those monsters to erupt from the water right then and tear him to bits, or pull him into the river and let him drown-

"What do you do if you see one?" Saltpaw asked. "Can you kill it?"

Songstar waved her tail. "We don't. FloodClan claims to be able to bring them down, but StarClan knows if they're being honest. I personally don't know how it could be done." Koipaw noticed Songstar was looking at him with concern. "They don't usually come this far downstream though," she meowed. "They prefer to stay on FloodClan's side of the river."

Koipaw looked across the river to the opposite bank. The forest was dense, and the water seemed to seep right into the roots of the trees. "Is that their territory over there?" he wondered.

"Indeed," Palmfeather meowed. "Let's get a move on. We still have to hunt before we get back to camp."

The four cats took off, following the river. Koipaw almost tripped; he was busy keeping an eye out for gators.

Eventually the river came to a bend. The soft sand grass of the dunes gave way to short, prickly grass, and Koipaw could see a few pine trees scattered about. There was the strong smell of other cats- _clan cats!_

"This must be the border!" Koipaw meowed excitedly.

Saltpaw sniffed at the border. "What clan is this way?" she asked, looking up at her mentor.

"SteppeClan," Songstar meowed. "They live on the plains."

"Why don't you two mark the border?" Palmfeather suggested.

Koipaw nodded, and felt pride at marking his clan's territory. After they were done, Songstar began leading them back through their territory. Koipaw basked in the warm breeze as they neared the coast. Around sun-high they crested a hill, and the four cats found themselves looking down onto a hill of wet, black rocks. They were dotted with barnacles and seaweed, and there were several full pools nestled between the rocks.

"That's where we'll hunt," Songstar meowed. "These pools fill up, and when the tide is low, animals hide in them."

Koipaw nudged Saltpaw. "Bet you I can catch something before you can!" he meowed playfully.

Saltpaw's yellow eyes shone. "I doubt it!" she meowed back.

"I bet you I catch something before you even get there!" Koipaw exclaimed. Giddy with excitement, he threw himself down the hill. He bounded up the rocks and gazed into one of the pools. _Wow,_ he thought as he took in the view. The pool was alive; purple urchins crawled slowly along the floor of the pool, and there were several orangy-pink starfishes clinging to the rock. A dark teal crab skittered out from behind some sea weed.

"Quieter next time approaching the pools," Palmfeather's voice said from behind him. "Creatures in there can hear your footsteps."

"Sorry," Koipaw replied. Without skipping a bit, he turned tail to face his mentor. "So how do we hunt? _What_ do we hunt?"

Songstar purred as she approached the pool, coming to stand on the opposite side. Saltpaw settled down beside her, eyeing the water hungrily. "It's simple," she answered. "Or at least, the idea is. Actually catching something is a different story."

"Fish, crabs, lobsters, oysters- those are all good to eat," Palmfeather continued. "You might find a sting ray in one of these pools, but only an experinced hunter should attempt catching one. Their tails are poisonous."

 _Poisonous rays!_ Koipaw thought uneasily. _There's a lot of dangerous beasts out here._

Saltpaw was leaning over the water, her paw hovering over the surface, claws out. "So how do we catch any of that?" she meowed.

"Anything that moves should be flipped onto dry land," Songstar said. "A crab's pinch might hurt, but getting on to grab onto you is a sure way to catch one. Some cats even like to use their tail tips as bait."

"Do we have to do that?" Koipaw asked.

Palmfeather giggled. "No, of course not," she mreowed. "It is a good technique, though."

"You two should be ready," Songstar said. "Who don't you see if you can catch something? Wait for your prey to come out of hiding, and make sure you have the catch before you make a move."

The two apprentices nodded. Koipaw crouched over the shallow water, waiting for prey to come into view. After some patience, a small lobster crawled out from under a rock. _It's coming right towards me,_ the calico tom thought, wiggling his haunches expectantly. It made its way over slowly, meticulously sifting invisible bits of prey out of the water.

 _I can almost reach it..._ Koipaw thought. He slowly put one paw out over the water, moving it closer and closer to ther lobster. Soon he was hovering over it, the small animal oblivious to the sharp, hooked claws only mouse lengths away.

A moment before Koipaw was about to strike, a shadow seemed to pass over the water. Thinking that his eyes were going blurry from staring for too long, the calico tom blinked, but when he opened his eyes, it looked like there was a shadow right behind him, almost in the shape of a cat...

Koipaw yowled as he was pushed forward. He plunged into the water and realized it was deeper than it had looked from the top. He sunk down and briefly saw the lobster dashing away into the murky blue-green. He pushed himself up and broke the surface, sputtering and spitting out the salty water.

"What happened?" Songstar meowed loudly. Koipaw felt Palmfeather's jaws sinch around his scruff, and he graciously accepted her help to climb out of the pool. He sat down dejectedly on the warm rock, soaked.

Saltpaw darted over and licked Koipaw's ear with fearful concern. "Are you okay?" she worried. "You looked like you were gonna catch that lobster, and then you just fell in!"

"I..." Koipaw meowed. His fur threw off water droplet as he spun his head, looking for the cat that pushed him. But there was only Songstar, Palmfeather, and Saltpaw, all looking at him with confused concern.

"It felt like something pushed me," the tom finally meowed.

Palmfeather shook her head. "Well, it certainly didn't _look_ like something pushed you." Koipaw felt uncomfortable under her almost scrutinizing gaze. "Maybe you should visit Sunspots. You might have heat fever."

"No," Koipaw said quickly. He stood up and shook his pelt dry. "I'm okay, really. I guess I just..." The calico tom trailed off. He really didn't know what could have caused what he saw and felt.

"Well... all right," Songstar meowed hesitantly. "But if you start feeling light headed, sit down."

The two apprentices resumed hunting, but Koipaw was distracted. He couldn't believe he had messed up his first hunt, and completely embarassed himself in front of his mentor and his leader. _Stupid!_ he thought to himself angrily.

They hunted until the sun was dipping low into the sky, traversing the rocks and exploring many different tide pools. Saltpaw was glowing with pride as they carried their prey home; she had managed to catch two large crabs. Koipaw had only managed a small sardine, and its limp, silver body flopped around pathetically as he carried it back to camp.

"You did a good job, Koipaw," Saltpaw meowed, suddenly right beside him. She barely managed to say anything around the massive crab dangling from her mouth.

"Whatever," he mumbled. "I don't know why I'm even bringing this fish back. It's not gonna help anyone."

"Crabs are big, but they're slow moving," Saltpaw replied. Her voice was quiet yet soothing. "They were easy to catch; I was just patient. Your skill, though, that took _speed_. Maybe that's what your best at."

Koipaw met Saltpaw's eyes, and they sparkled earnestly.

"Thanks, Saltpaw." Koipaw meowed, and he meant it.

At the entrance to the camp they met Carpwhisker and his apprentice, Sharkpaw. "Nice catch," Carpwhisker meowed to his kits. Even Sharkpaw seemed impressed.

Since the fresh-kill pile was full, the four returning cats dug into their prey. Koipaw remembered that sardines were actually his favorite food, and he began to forget that he was ever disappointed with himself.

That shadow that had come over the water, and that feeling of being pushed? That was harder to forget.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Mudpaw lay sprawled in one of the few sunny patches in the camp, surrounded by moss and ferns. The warm Greenleaf sun felt good on her belly, and she wiggled to allow the rays better access to her pelt. She dozed contendedly. It had been several days since she become an apprentice, and today was the day she and her siblings would be taken into the deep parts of the grove. She had, of course, seen the edge of her territory and hunted, but she hadn't yet gone far off the border trails or hunting trails- well-used routes that the first cats of FloodClan had built, with stick and vine bridges crafted to connect the spots where the roots got too thin and water looked murky. The constant cat-smell kept most of the snakes and gators away, but beyond the paths, death could be hiding behind every leaf or below the surface of the deep, black, algae-flecked water.

Mudpaw shuddered. She recalled one of her first memories as a kit, only days out of the nursery. She was playing feather chase with Mosspaw and Eaglepaw- Mosskit and Eaglekit then- when there was a sudden disturbance at the entrance of the camp. The three kits had bounded over to look, Mudkit in the lead, and Fernfeather had quickly gotten in front of them and shooshed them away with her tail. Mosskit and Eaglekit had pranced off without much argument, but Mudkit had looked back, back towards the commotion, and saw Looptail carrying his brother ( _what was his name?_ Mudpaw wondered, and then it came back to her. _Whiteshine._ ) on his back. There was blood, so much blood, and Mudkit's eyes had grown wide with horror. Looptail's eyes had looked huge, vacant, and he stumbled forward slightly. "A gator got him," he had said, almost blandly. He turned a little bit, and Mudkit saw where the blood was coming from. Whiteshine's whole back leg and most of his waist was torn off; blood and _other things_ were spilling out, and even now, he had been breathing shallowly. Short, lifeless breaths.

Irisblossom and Rosethorn surrounded the two toms- the two returning cats looking equally as dead, but only one of them dying- and the scene which had seemed to last days was over in a heartbeat. Mudkit's mother pushed her more sternly, with a low hiss of "Get back to the nursery!". The next time Mudkit saw Whiteshine, his bottom half was covered in leaves to hide the monstrosity beneath them and the clan was bowed in vigil. Looptail was completely silent, that same dead look in his eyes.

Mudpaw rolled over, back in the present. She was glad her first trip into the deep grove would be with Gatorfang; he was the most skilled gator-killer in the FloodClan, and along with Pythontail, the most familiar with the grove. Yeah, having him there would be a relief. Hearing someone approaching her, Mudpaw looked up just in time to see Mosspaw flopping down beside her.

"Freaked out yet?" Mosspaw meowed nonchalantly, swiping one paw deilcately over her ear.

Mudpaw relaxed back onto her back. "Nah," she lied. "It's just trees, after all."

"And water," Mosspaw replied. "And things _in_ the trees and water." The pale brown she-cat paused before continuing with a shrug. "We'll be fine, though. Of course."

"Where's Eaglepaw?" Mudpaw asked. She stared through squinted eyes at the sunlight dappled through the leaves. _Strange that other cats live under that fire all the time,_ she mused.

"Not sure," Mosspaw answered, with the sound of claws scraping absent mindedly at plant matter. "I think he was talking to Rosethorn about a scratch or something."

Suddenly, Mudpaw was jerked out of relaxation by a hard force pushing into her. She rolled out of her spot with a yelp, and whipped around to bare her teeth at the attacker. But it was only Eaglepaw, the white spot on his nose making him look extra smug. He waved his tail from a mock crouch.

"You guys ready to go kill some gators?" he asked, his eyes bright. Mudpaw, more amused than annoyed, combed her tail down.

"I don't even want to _see_ a gator. Cats get killed be them all the time," Mosspaw meowed, but her quick blinks betrayed worry.

"Apprentices!" came a loud meow near the entrance of camp. The three young cats looked up in unison, and saw that Gatorfang, along with the other two mentors, were waiting for them.

"I guess it's time," Mudpaw meowed before they bounded over, sounding as grim as a death sentence.

Aloenose, Mudpaw's mentor, smiled as her apprentice approached her. Her pale green eyes sparkled warmly. "Are you ready?" she asked the three younger cats.

"I am," Mudpaw meowed, and she could sense her siblings nodding. Copperpelt, Eaglepaw's mentor, tried to stifle a huff of laughter. Mudpaw looked over and saw that Gatorfang's mouth was also twisted in a grin.

"Every apprentices says they're ready," Gatorfang said mysteriously, "but they never are. They never are."

"Oh, stop it, you guys," Aloenose meowed, her tail twitching. "You're gonna freak them out."

Copperpelt regained his composure. "Yeah, you're right," he meowed. "Gatorfang, would you like to lead the way?"

The older tom nodded. "Apprentices, stay behind me. It's safer. It'll also be easier for you to listen, because I have a lot to tell you."

Mudpaw nodded, almost rapt by the tom's confidence and certainty. _Mosspaw is lucky to have such a great mentor,_ she thought briefly, and immediately felt bad. Aloenose was a better mentor than she could have asked for; patient, understanding, and a friend. Someone she could talk to as an equal, but still learn more than she ever thought possible from. Mudpaw couldn't help but purr as she thought of the older she-cat.

They exited the camp and nodded to Troutstorm, who was going into camp with a large opposum. Just outside the camp the ground sloped down on all sides until it met water, about three tail lengths from the camp border, making the camp somewhat of an island in a large, black pool of water. Several large root bridges crossed the water on different sides of the island, like rays emanating from the sun.

They circled the camp to the backmost bridge and crossed it. Mudpaw's tail brushed easily along the smooth, well worn roots, and wondered if the ancient cats had woven these bridges too, way back when the roots were still thin and flexible. It was hard to imagine.

"You all already know to always watch your surroundings," Gatorfang meowed, "but that is especially true when you're going pathless in the grove. You must not only watch in front of you, beside you, behind you; you must also watch above you and below you." The older tom waved his tail towards the tree branches above, some almost close enough to reach on hind paws, some towering above. "Pythons hide in the trees as well as the water and the bushes. Luckily the smaller ones tend to live in trees, but they can still be dangerous."

Gatorfang continued. "Gators are quiet, and like to hide for their prey. Always examine a pool of water before you go close; most of the time, you'll see the gator before it senses you, and you can avoid it." They came to another bridge on the path and crossed it after a quick glance. "Young gators are easy enough to catch, but their mothers are usually nearby, and they're vicious if they find you stealing their young. If you're going to catch one, stay quiet, stay alert, and kill it before it makes any noise."

"Are we going to be tested on this today?" Mosspaw said in dawning horror. Mudpaw hadn't considered it, but now that she heard it, she was terrified that she was actually going to have to catch a gator, baby or otherwise.

"Dear StarClan, no," Gatorfang meowed. "The grove is huge; there are parts that are so deep and so dense that no cat has explored it yet. Cats have gotten lost here. It's best that you know how to survive here, even if it came to you being all alone."

Nothing had ever sounded so terrible to Mudpaw. She shivered and focused harder on the path. Ahead of her, Gatorfang continued. "If you're attacked by a gator, you need to make sure it doesn't shake you or try to rip your skin. Scratch it's eyes and nose to escape. Their bite is strong, but their jaws are weak, and you can hold their mouth shut pretty easily. Lastly, get out of the water as fast as you can once you escape- gators are in their element there."

"Is there anything that won't kill us here?" Eaglepaw asked once it seemed Gatorclaw was finished. The brown tom nodded. "Oh yes. There are a lot of harmless creatures here in the grove too."

By this time they had gone further on this path than Mudpaw hads ever been. The path, while still clear, was green with moss and vegetation. It truly felt like they were going deeper and deeper, into the unknown.

"Be quiet now," Gatorfang said in a low voice. "There's something you need to see up ahead."

Mosskit's head turned to Mudpaw in confusion. Mudpaw shrugged back uncertainly. It wasn't long until they came to a small but deep slow-moving stream, a vivid blue-teal color instead of the usual black. They root bridge over it was mossy, and felt soft and cool on Mudpaw's feet.

"What is _that?_ " Mosspaw said in a panicked whisper. She was into the water right beside her, and Mudpaw twisted her head to see it. The breath caught in her throat as she saw a huge, gray creature, almost blobbish in shape, drifting just below the surface of the water, only tail lengths away. _Gator,_ Mudpaw thought instantly, and her entire pelt puffed up, ready to run.

"It's a manatee," Gatorfang answered. "They're harmless."

The gray animal slowly bobbed to the surface. It regarded them with wary curiosity, its dark eyes shockingly sentient. It watched them as they crossed the bridge single file, before finally ducking under the water once again.

"That thing was _huge_!" Eaglepaw meowed excitedly. "Imagine how long the clan could eat on one of them."

His mentor, Copperpelt, snorted. "How could you drag one of those back to camp?" he wondered. "Or even kill one?"

They continued walking and came to another stream. This one was dark and menacing, swampier than the last one and dotted with duckweed. Mudpaw felt uneasy as she crossed it, staring below her at the black water swirling with tiny golden dust-flecks.

She was a little over halfway over the bridge when she heard a yelp and then a splash behind her. She turned around and say Eaglepaw breaking the surface of water, covered in water plants but unharmed.

"I'm okay," he meowed breathlessly. He swam his way over to the bridge. Mudpaw noticed a flicker of movement in the water behind him, and her eyes grew wide as she saw a huge, lizard-like creature surfacing the water right behind him.

 _Gator,_ was all Mudpaw could think as the monster opened its jaws, coming right for Eaglepaw. The small tom turned and his mouth opened in a silent shriek. Gatorfang let out a furious screech and threw himself at the gator, landing squarely on its head only heartbeats before it closed its jaws on the helpless Eaglepaw. Mudpaw was frozen in place, barely breathing as the scene played out.

"We need to help him!" Mosspaw shrieked. Gatorfang clung to the gator, desperately keeping his forelegs tightly clenched around the beasts jaws as it flung him around, vigorously shaking its head.

Mudpaw was in a daze. She dragged her gaze from Gatorfang's battle and looked at Copperpelt, pulling Eaglepaw out of the water; Aloenose had leapt into the water and had her claws looped into the gator's nostrils, biting the tip of its nose. Mosspaw, after a moment's hesitation, leapt onto the gator's back to join her mentor, leaning over and reaching her paws under to tear at the beast's sensitive belly.

The gator suddenly broke through Gatorfang's grasp. The large tom fell backwards onto its back, bowling Mosspaw over and into the water. Aloenose released a yowl of surprise as the gator flung her into the air, sending her flying over Mudpaw's head and into the stream on the other side of the bridge. She landed with a sickening slap and disappeared.

Mudpaw finally was able to move into action. She leapt gracefully into the water, cutting through the surface. She opened her eyes underwater and felt her pupils contract, allowing her to see in the dim light of the water. She made out a silhouette far away, motionless and sinking. _Aloenose,_ Mudpaw thought, and swam towards it.

Her lungs were screaming for air by the time she reached her mentor. She sinched her teeth around Aloenose's scruff. _She's too heavy, I'll never be able to save her,_ Mudpaw thought vaguely, but she somehow was able to pull the both of them to the surface.

Coppertail was waiting for her at the surface, and Mudpaw was relieved when he took Aloenose by the scruff and dragged her back to the shore. Eaglepaw, Mosspaw, and Gatorfang were waiting for them- Gatorfang had a cut on his flank and Mosspaw's nose was bleeding- but they looked mostly unharmed. Mudpaw was barely able to hoist herself out of the water. Her lungs ached and her muscles cramped, not to mention the ringing in her ears. And Aloenose? She was motionless.

Gatorfang rolled the still she-cat onto her side, and by some miracle from StarClan, she coughed up a throat full of water. She regained her breath, then groaned and flopped to the ground.

"She might be hurt inside," Coppertail meowed uncertainly. "We need to get her to Irisblossom and Rosethorn."

"Couldn't it hurt her if we try to move her?" Mudpaw asked. Her mentor's wet pelt clung pathetically to her frame, making her look small and weak. It reminded her of Whiteshine, bleeding out, half his torso gone...

She had zoned out and when she snapped back to reality, Rosethorn and Irisblossom were being lead down the path by Coppertail. The older medicine cat sniffed Aloenose, then laid an expert paw on her side. She felt up and down the she-cat's pelt. Mudpaw was completely silent. _Please, StarClan, please save Aloenose's life,_ she prayed.

"She's heavily bruised," Irisblossom meowed carefully, "but I don't think she's broken anything. We need to get her back to camp- very carefully."

Slowly, meticulously, Irisblossom helped ease the unconscious she-cat onto the three larger tom's backs. The walked side by side, with Aloenose reclined between them. Mudpaw brought up the rear, numb to the world. The group started the long, slow journey back to camp. Just as she took the first steps back home, something barey registered on her senses, and she whipped around. She thought she had heard something, but when she turned around, there was nothing there. She was staring at the empty bridge and the path behind it, quiet and still, but as she stared, she could swear she smelled something, like mint and steam coming off stone. The trees seemed to be ruffling, but there was no wind in the dense grove. She kept staring, filled with uneasy curiosity; surely she would see something...

"Mudpaw!" Mosspaw called. The spell was broken, and Mudpaw whipped back around and ran to catch up with the group. They all walked solemnly, struggling to move quickly without dropping Aloenose or tumbling off the path.

It seemed like ages before they made it to camp. Irisblossom ran ahead to prepare a spot for Aloenose in the medicine den. Mudpaw numbly followed. Her mind was blank, but she was sure of one thing- she had to make sure Aloenose would get better. She had to.

Thankfully, Irisblossom didn't make her leave the den. She just looked up quickly, turned back to her herbs, and was quiet.

"She's breathing easier," Gatorfang meowed as the toms laid her gently in her nest. Irisblossom retrieved a lump of wet moss and placed it near the injured she-cat's mouth in case she got thirsty.

"From what I can tell, there's nothing wrong with her, besides bruising. And shock, of course." Irisblossom sighed before continuing. "All she can do to get better is rest, and take poppy seeds for pain."

"Maybe aloe, for the bruise-pain?" Rosethorn suggested. The older medicine cat nodded thoughtfully, lost in the world of healing.

After a while, the other cats wandered off to see to their duties or eat. Mudpaw sat in the medicine den, watching anxiously as Irisblossom and Rosethorn worked on and off to keep Aloenose stable.

Finally, right before sunset, Aloenose awoke for the first time. She groaned and raised her head slightly. Mudpaw shot up and crouched down next to her mentor, practically bursting with gratefulness. "Thank StarClan, you're awake!" the brown she-cat rejoiced.

"I can't say I'm as happy as you are," Aloenose meowed painfully. "Everything hurts." The tan she-cat made an effort to sit up, but only got halfway before she sunk back to her belly with a shallow wheeze of pain.

"Don't strain yourself," Rosethorn said, crouching down beside Aloenose. He guestured to the wet moss, and the injured she-cat lapped at it thirstily.

"How are you feeling?" Rosethorn asked. "Besides the pain, I mean. Do you feel sick?"

"No, nothing like that," Aloenose meowed between laps of water. She paused, and looked up. Her face was certain, and a little bit afraid. "I'm lucky to be alive, aren't I?"

Rosethorn nodded. "Oh, for sure. You're lucky Mudpaw jumped in to save you; you could have drowned."

Aloenose looked back to her apprentice. "I owe you my life," she said in an awed whisper. Her broken uncertainty transformed into stern confidence. "Mudpaw, I promise you I'll get better so I can train you again." She smiled for the first time. "After all, it's only a bruise."

Mudpaw purred and nudged Aloenose's head lightly. "You better," she meowed.

Later that evening, Mudpaw was wolfing down a small snake, absolutely famished. She hardly noticed Frondstar mounting the High Root, and it was only when the leader spoke that she stopped eating.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Root for a clan meeting!"

Mudpaw was confused as she took a place in the middle of camp. She wondered briefly if she was in trouble when Frondstar looked directly at her, but then realized. _I must be getting a new mentor!_

"Aloenose has suffered a serious injury today," Frondstar meowed. "She was hurt defending her clanmates, for which there is no greater honor. However, for the time being, this means that Mudpaw will need a new mentor."

Frondstar paused before continuing. "After discussing the matter with Flamepatch, we have settled on someone we think will make a suitable mentor." The leader paused again, leaving Mudpaw's feet itching with curiosity. Frondstar looked down at the cats below her before continuing.

"Snakescale, step forward."

There was a gasp from the clan as the black and white tom took his place at the front of the crowd. Mudpaw's face was burning from embrassment; the clan was alive with accusatory mutters and whispers.

"Silence!" Frondstar demanded. Her green eyes danced dangerously, and a hush fell over the clan.

"Your leader has spoken," Flamepatch said from his spot just below Frondstar. "Snakescale is a part of FloodClan now, and what better way is there for him to prove it?"

"What kind of influence will he be on Mudpaw?" Fernfeather meowed. Mudpaw's face grew hotter.

"Snakescale has been working his tail off to feed FloodClan," Ravenpetal growled at the other she-cat. They glared at each other, bristling, and Mudpaw thought she would die of embarassment if they started a fight.

"I won't hear another word about it!" Frondstar said, her voice sounding like a clap of thunder. Instantly the clan was silent. In a lower, growlier voice, she continued. "I am your leader, and my word will be obeyed. Mudpaw, step forward."

Mudpaw stumbled to the front of the gathering. She looked up at Snakescale. He was tall and muscular, with long legs accustomed to the prairies of SteppeClan. His yellow eyes were sad, but there was a fire there, a confidence, something he had to prove.

"Snakescale, during the time you've been here, you have proved yourself to be a hard worker and a good hunter for FloodClan. May you prove your loyalty by training Mudpaw."

Mudpaw reached up and touched her new mentor's nose. She realized she didn't feel embarassed anymore.

The clan dispersed, some cats murmuring to each other, but not daring to let Frondstar hear them complaining. "I'll do my best to be a good mentor," Snakescale meowed, and turned around. Mudpaw watched him trot over to Ravenpetal, and the two rubbed against each other, the black she-cat purring in congratulations.

 _Maybe he will be a good mentor,_ Mudpaw thought as she watched him. After reflecting for a moment, she turned around to see Eaglepaw and Mosspaw coming to talk to her. She promptly paced over to them. They had a lot to talk about.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading everyone! In this chapter we get a glimpse into FloodClan territory, arguably the most dangerous territory of all the Clans by the Sea. FloodClan lives in a very dense mangrove, thus their habit of calling their forest/swamp 'the grove'. Next chapter will focus on Lynxpaw,and his first gathering. Follow to be updated!_


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Lynxpaw crouched in a small patch of scraggly grass. He wiggled his haunches expectantly, careful not to let his movement create too much noise. Around him, the plains were silent, save for the slight, musical rustling of the wind over grass and the occasional screech of a hawk. He watched his target- a small gopher hole only a few tail-lengths away- with careful patience.

Over head, the sun was shining, and Lynxpaw basked in the dotted sunlight that filtered in through the grass around him. Flicking his eyes to the horizon for only a heartbeat, he saw the green, overgrown swamp of FloodClan's territory. Lynxpaw frowned. Yesterday Grasspaw said that she had seen Snakescale with an apprentice while patrolling the border with Watersplash, but that the two were gone by the time they came close. The entire clan had wondered if Snakescale was already training a warrior, sneering at Frondstar's irrational decision. Lynxpaw agreed with them, but he also knew how good of a warrior Snakescale was.

A furry brown head popped out of one of the holes ahead, drawing Lynxpaw's attention back to the hunt. The gopher took a short, fleeting glance, then bobbed back into his hole, only to emerge again in a few moments. The large brown tom waited patiently for the gopher to do its routine. Finally, the gopher crawled out of its hole, and took one last sentry-glance before accepting that the coast was clear. The gopher stood facing away from Lynxpaw, grooming itself. The tom kneaded his claws. Now was the perfect time to strike.

Silently, Lynxpaw exploded from the bushes. He leapt cleanly; his prey didn't even notice him until it was almost in his claws. He landed squarely and killed the gopher with a swift nip to the neck. He turned his eyes skyward. _Thank you, StarClan,_ he prayed.

"That's a fat one," Cowfur meowed approvingly. "No doubt you have gopher hunting down."

"Thanks," Lynxpaw replied, dipping his head. He picked up the gopher, and his stomach growled when he felt the still warm body between his jaws.

Cowfur retrieved his own catch, a good sized sand mouse. The two took off silently across the prairie. In the half-moon since the scurmish with GladeClan, Lynxpaw had spent a lot of time racing the steppes; he could feel fresh muscle ripple under his pelt, and he could run until the sun had changed its place in the sky without getting winded. They soon reached the clan entrance, nodding to Spottedowl as she guarded the camp entrance. The two toms deposited their catch to the fresh kill pile.

"How would you like to go to your first gathering tonight?" Cowfur asked. Lynxpaw looked up at his mentor, shocked with excitement. _My first gathering!_ the ruddy tom thought excitedly, and his stumpy tail flipped with anticipation.

"I would love to!" Lynxpaw meowed. He forced his pelt to lie fat, momentarily embarassed about acting like such a kit. "It'll be interesting to meet cats from other clans," he added, more calmly.

Cowfur nodded. "It always is. Be careful, though- we're not exactly on great terms with most of the other clans."

Lynxpaw nodded. "Do you think it's true?" the apprentice asked. "That Snakescale already has an apprentice?"

Cowfur shook his thick fur. "Well, I don't know for sure," he meowed. "Frondstar has made seemingly irrational decisions in the past, but they seem to have mostly worked out for FloodClan. Whatever she chose to do with that traitor, it's definitely not to our advantage." The deputy seemed thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Best not to bring up anything about Snakescale at the gathering, though. Especially if he's there."

"I would hate for StarClan to condemn my first gathering," Lynxpaw agreed.

Cowfur nodded. "You're smart, for an apprentice." The black and white tom gestured to the fresh-kill before them. "Eat something. It's a long walk to the gathering-place tonight."

"A gathering is like nothing you've ever seen before."

Lynxpaw looked up at the russet brown she-cat pacing beside him. The moon shone brightly above the moving group of cats, drowning them in pale blue-gray light. Pinepaw's eyes were shining as she spoke to the younger tom. "There's more cats than you could even believe," she continued. She glanced at her sister, Grasspaw, and Lynxpaw turned to face her on his other side.

"Oh, yeah," she agreed with a giddy nod. "So many different pelts and smells. It'll make you dizzy!"

"Is it true that FloodClan cats wear mud on their fur?" Lynxpaw asked, trying to imagine willingly smearing dirt onto his pelt. _It must smell terrible,_ he thought with a shudder.

Pinepaw cocked her head thoughtfully. "Well... _I've_ never seen them like that."

"They definitely smell like mud, though," Grasspaw added scornfully. "And they're not quick to wash themselves if they _do_ get muddy paws."

The group continued their journey. Lynxpaw looked over the rest of the group- Runningstar and Cowfur leading, closely followed by Mellowsong, having a conversation with Tulipleaf. Lightfern, Watersplash, and Lightheart paced in front of Lynxpaw and the other two apprentices. Behind them, he could hear Blacktooth, the only SteppeClan elder, chortling away with Spottedowl.

It was nearing moonhigh when Cowfur circled back to meet Lynxpaw. "We're almost to PalmPlace," he meowed. "Are you excited?"

"Oh, yeah," Lynxpaw breathed.

"Good," Cowfur answered. "Because it's right up ahead." The shaggy black and white deputy flicked his tail ahead. Lynxpaw gazed at the gathering place in awe; it was a small piece of land, with the river that ran through Clan territory splitting around it to form a small island. A huge, singular palm tree stood atop it, swaying effortless in the warm breeze. A shiver of nervous excitment travelled through the apprentice as he heard the sound of many cats talking as SteppeClan neared.

Lynxpaw followed Cowfur onto the stepping stones leading to the island, carefully watching his mentor's steps to find the best foothold. He hopped from rock to rock, forgetting momentarily about the other clans in lieu of focussing on not falling into the river. Finally he leapt off the final rock and onto the fine, soft sand of the island.

His eyes grew wide as he crested the ridge that led to the flat ground of PalmPlace. The other leaders- _Frondstar, Songstar, Thrushstar,_ Lynxpaw recalled- each sat on a separate large, flat-topped stone, positioned in a crescent shape, their deputies and medicine cats each sitting to one side of their clan's stone. In front of the leaders the rest of the cats mulled around, some of them mingling, but to Lynxpaw, it looked like most of the clans were avoiding each other.

"Go talk to the other apprentices," Cowfur mumured to Lynxpaw, "but remember, things are tense right now."

Lynxpaw nodded, and paced to the outskirts of the gathering place to survey the other clans. Skyfern- Lynxpaw recognized her from the fight a half moon back- sat in her place below Thrushstar, not trying to hide the anger in her gaze as Runningstar and Cowfur approached. The SteppeClan leader and deputy took their spots on the rock two place down from GladeClan. On the other side of GladeClan, Frondstar stood stoney and tall, but beneath her icy facade, Lynxpaw thought he could see smugness. _No doubt it's because she has a new warrior for her clan,_ the ruddy tom thought with digsust. _Eat fox dung._

He tore his gaze from the stoic FloodClan leader and turned to her clan gathered beneath her. His eyes immediately locked on the familiar black and white tom, and to the small, pretty brown she-cat standing beside him. _So it's true,_ Lynxpaw mused. _Snakescale really does have an apprentice._

Lastly, the ruddy tom looked at the CoveClan leader. Songstar, the smallest of the leaders, seemed confused at the hostility between the clans. After several futile tries at trying to make conversation, the tortoiseshell leader set about chatting with her deputy and medicine cat. Lynxpaw squinted, and he was able to make out a small, red stone hanging from Songstar's ear, glinting in the bright moonlight. He realized that several other cats had shiny stones hanging from their ears. _CoveClan must be crazy as a gopher in a flood,_ Lynxpaw thought, and paced over to the beach cats.

Almost self-consciously, Lynxpaw approached a small group of what must be CoveClan apprentices. A lanky calico tom looked up from his group, and his blue eyes sparkled when he saw the red tom.

"Hey! SteppeClan, right?" the multi colored tom asked. The other cats- an equally lanky white she-cat with black specks who seemed to be the same age as the other time, and two slightly older apprentices- looked up from their conversation to view the newcomer curiously.

"Yeah," Lynxpaw answered. "My name's Lynxpaw. Who are you?"

"I'm Koipaw, and this is Saltpaw, my sister." The calico tom gestured to the black flecked white she-cat. He pointed with his tail first to a sleek furred with she-cat with black points, and then to a large gray tom with a white belly. "These are Shadowpaw and Sharkpaw, older apprentices."

"Why aren't you talking to the other clans?" Lynxpaw asked after they were all introduced. Shadowpaw flicked her ears in response. "We tried, but none of them want to talk. They're acting like they've got wasps in their paws, they're so jumpy."

"Didn't a SteppeClan cat leave to join FloodClan?" Saltpaw asked somewhat accusingly. Uncomfortable and not wanting to give away any information to another clan, Lynxpaw shrugged. "That was his decision," he meowed.

Koipaw opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, the four leaders yowled in unison, signalling the official beginning of the gathering. Lynxpaw nodded goodbye to the other apprentices, and left to join the rest of his clan on the ground in front of Runningstar.

Before any of the leaders could speak, Skyfern stood to her paws. "I think we should start this gathering with a most pressing matter," she meowed, her fluffy tail lashing. "And that is the prey that SteppeClan stole from us."

Runningstar flicked his ears, annoyed. He turned to the GladeClan leader. "Thrushstar, do you always let your deputy speak for you?" he asked, ignoring Skyfern's words.

Thrushstar blinked, his ears pressing back slightly. "Skyfern is my mate as well as my deputy," he retorted, visibly forcing his fur to lie flat. "And she does bring up something important."

"I was there," Cowfur meowed, his bulk shivering in silent anger. "The duck was caught on SteppeClan territory. It was ours."

Runningstar, obviously trying not to start a fight, waved his tail. "Now isn't the time for this argument," he meowed. "It's not StarClan's way to fight during a gathering."

"Oh?" Skyfern replied with faux innocence. "Is it the way of StarClan to sire kits in a different clan?"

Several SteppeClan cats yowled their disapproval. Lynxpaw felt hot fury surge under his coat, and he wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look off Skyfern's face. Over in FloodClan's section of PalmPlace, Snakescale was standing straight, his fur unruffles.

"Snakescale has made his decision," Frondstar meowed, and Lynxpaw was surprised by her clear, even, commanding voice. The island went silent, and she continued. "Skyfern, you have _no right_ to comment on any cats loyalty. Snakescale has proven himself to be a fine warrior, and it is my duty alone to make sure he stays that way."

Skyfern finally sat down, muttering to herself agitatedly.

After it seemed the quarrel was over, Runningstar nodded his head. "Thank you, Frondstar," he meowed. He cleared his throat and began to give his clan's announcements. "We have a new apprentice this moon. Lynxpaw, mentored to Cowfur."

"Lynxpaw! Lynxpaw!" the four clans cheered, and the ruddy tom felt the same pride he had felt a half moon before when he had first become an apprentice. The cheering died down, and Runningstar dipped his head. "That is all that SteppeClan has to report," he finished.

Songstar spoke next. "CoveClan has two new apprentices," she meowed. "Koipaw, mentored to Palmfeather, and Saltpaw, mentored to myself."

Lynxpaw cheered the two apprentices' names, and looked over at the two, surprised that Saltpaw was being trained by the CoveClan leader.

Next, Frondstar spoke. "As you now all know, FloodClan has a new warrior." she meowed. "Snakescale, formally of SteppeClan, has joined our ranks to raise his kits within the glade. FloodClan also has three new apprentices; Mosspaw, apprenticed to Gatorfang, Eaglepaw, apprenticed to Copperpelt, and Mudpaw, apprenticed to Snakescale."

At first, the clans were silent, obviously baffled as to why Snakescale would already be training. Lynxpaw sat up and looked over at FloodClan; the pretty brown she-cat (Mudpaw, apparently) looked absolutely dejected at the silence that met her name.

"Mudpaw!" Lynxpaw yowled. "Eaglepaw! Mosspaw!"

In heartbeats, the rest of the clans joined. For just a moment, Mudpaw's gaze met Lynxpaw's, and he saw gratefulness shining in her dark brown eyes.

The cheers ceased, and finally Thrushstar stepped forward on his rock. "I am proud to announce that GladeClan has a new medicine cat apprentice, Basilpaw," he meowed. Lynxpaw flicked his gaze down to the bottom of the GladeClan, and noticed for the first time that their medicine cat was missing.

"Unfortunately," Thrushstar continued, "both Goldenfur and Basilpaw are back at camp, tending to one of their clanmates."

"Send Basilpaw our congratulations," Songstar meowed. Thrushstar dipped his head. "I will tell her," he replied. "Thank you."

"Well, if sounds like that wraps up this gathering," Runningstar meowed. He dipped his head to their other leaders. "May StarClan light your path," the four leaders said in unison. Lynxpaw almost jumped out of his fur when he heard the cats pressed in around him meowed back: "And the moon light yours."

After the strange ceremony, the clans dispersed. Lynxpaw flicked his tail towards Koipaw and the other CoveClan apprentices as he saw them heading home in the opposite direction.

Lynxpaw brought up the rear of the group, lagging behind to take one last look at the empty PalmPlace. The soft sand was dimpled with the imprints of many pawsteps, and crickets chirped from behind the beach grass dappled around the island. It was peaceful.

All of a sudden, he saw brown cat charging him from the other side of the island. His fur spiked, and he instinctually took a defensive stance. As the cat neared, he realized it was the FloodClan apprentice, Mudpaw, and his fur relaxed somewhat.

The dappled she-cat skidded to a halt a fox length away from him. She sent up a shower of sand, and sat breathing heavily for a few moments, gazing into Lynxpaw's eyes almost hypnotically.

"Hey," she meowed.

"Hey," Lynxpaw meowed back, feeling akward.

The she-cat shook her pelt out and blinked before continuing. "I wanted to thank you," she started. "For cheering. I really needed that."

"It was nothing," Lynxpaw replied.

"I know," she meowed. "But it made a difference." The she-cat blinked again, thoughtfully. "I known things aren't... great, between our clans right now," she meowed, and Lynxpaw thought she sounded kind of embarassed. "But I wanted to tell you that Snakescale is a great mentor, and he's really happy in FloodClan with Ravenpetal. I was hoping we could be friends."

Lynxpaw flicked his ears. He wondered if this was some sort of trick to get him to expose SteppeClan secrets. _Mouse brain_ , he scolded himself. _What kind of secrets could an apprentice like you be hiding?_ And besides, Mudpaw looked genuine.

"Sure," he meowed with a quick nod. "We can be friends."

Mudpaw's eyes lit up, and she brushed briefly against Lynxpaw's flank. "Cool," she purred. "See you next gathering!"

The brown she-cat whipped off back the way she had came without looking back. After a silent, stunned moment, Lynxpaw shook his head in wonder, and turned to follow his clan home.

* * *

 _Hi readers! Apologies for this chapter taking quite some time to go up, I've been on vacation this week. Any questions, comments, and reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Basilpaw sat in the back of the medicine den, deftly sorting through the pile of herbs in front of her. _Valerian, chamomile, passionflower..._ she mentally recited, pushing the herbs into corresponding piles as she worked.

She had been training as a medicine cat a for little over a half moon. Already the herbs- their smells, their shape- were familiar to her. A few days before, Skyfern had approached her and told her how valuable as a medicine cat she was. Despite the uneasy feeling Basilpaw got from the deputy, she had glown under her praise.

Basilpaw frowned as she worked, remembering the gathering she had missed the half moon before. Weedkit had been sick with some sort of panic-sickness; out of the blue his breathing had become haggard and sharp, and his eyes had started flickering around in panic. It was scary, working to heal a kit only a few moons younger than herself, but Basilpaw and Goldenfur had managed to heal him.

"Good job," Goldenfur meowed from behind her.

"Thanks," Basilpaw replied. She started wrapping the sorted piles of herbs into small bundles, securing their ends together with thin pieces of grass. She turned back as she worked to look at her mentor. "What herbs are good for travelling again?" she meowed.

Goldenfur purred. "You must have the half-moon gathering on your mind," he meowed in slight amusement. His eyes rolled upwards as he recalled. "Let's see... burnet would be good. Yarrow's also useful." Basilpaw saw the older medicine cat from the corner of her eye, plucking herbs from the walls of the medicine den as he named them off. "And chamomile. Chamomile is my favorite."

"What do you think was wrong with Weedkit?" Basilpaw asked. Though Weedkit's breathing had eventually fixed itself and he seemed to recover fully, there was still the question of what exactly had afflicted him in the first place. It definitely wasn't sickness- there had been know signs of infection, nor had it spread to any other cats- and his illness had cured too fast for it to be a lung infection.

Goldenfur flicked his tail in motion that Basilpaw had quickly learned, what she considered 'medicine cat irritation'; the frustration a medicine cat feels when the complex build of the cat's body goes beyond their knowledge. "It might be a mind sickness," he answered, though he didn't sound entirely convinced. "Usually cats who come back from battle experince those kind of symptoms- shortness of breath, quick heartbeat- but I don't know why a kit would experince panic like that." Goldenfur sighed. "We just have to hope it doesn't happen again. Us medicine cats aren't suited to dealing with abnormalities of the mind like that."

Basilpaw's nose screwed up, and she was glad she was facing away from Goldenfur. _Medicine cats should be able to heal every sickness,_ she thought. _If we can't help our clanmates feel better, what good are we?_

"Anyway," Goldenfur continued, "Thrushstar just gave us permission to head out to the Moonglow. Grab some travelling herbs and we'll start our journey."

"It's already that late?" Basilpaw said, looking out of the den for the first time all day. To her surprise, the sun was already setting, filtering reddish gold light into the leaf-covered entrance of the medicine den.

"Yes," Goldenfur chuffed good-naturedly, crossing the den to retrieve some chamomile. "I remember when I was first a medicine cat apprentice. I was always avoiding the sorting jobs, wanting to fool around with the other apprentices until there was an injured cat to take care of..." Goldenfur trailed off, and Basilpaw turned around to face him. He had a far off look in his eyes as he continued. "Anyway, I'm glad you're dedicated. My mentor was always cursing me with having an apprentice as unattentive as I was."

"I like learning," Basilpaw replied, plucking a few sprigs of burnet from the medicine store.

Basilpaw stood in the middle of camp, almost quivering as she stood next to Goldenfur. She wondered if her mentor could feel the sparks of excitement shooting through her pelt. _I bet StarClan is looking down on us right now,_ Basilpaw thought, peeking through the foliage overhead. _I bet they're getting ready to meet me!_

The creamy she-cat's heart jumped when she saw Thrushstar and Skyfern emerge from their den, leaping from branch to branch until they reached the center of camp. The two cats came to stand before the medicine cats, their tails intertwined.

"We're ready to begin our journey," Goldenfur meowed with a respectful nod to his leader. Thrushstar dipped his head in return. "Be safe," he meowed solenmly. "May StarClan light your path."

Skyfern broke away from her mate and approached Basilpaw. The apprentice had to force herself not to shy away as the deputy pressed her pelt against hers. "This is _such_ an exciting night for you," she purred, sounding overly-joyful. Her lips pulled up into a wide grin, and Basilpaw backed away slightly as the older she-cat leaned in. "I'm sure StarClan has dreams in store for you," she whispered. Her eyes were glinting, but not with genuine excitement. _What is she talking about?_ Basilpaw asked, panic starting to set in as Skyfern held her gaze. _Why is she even talking to me?_

"Basilpaw? Are you ready?"

Skyfern pulled back at Goldenfur's voice, her still-smug face a little bit less alarming at a distance, and Basilpaw realized she had been holding her breath. She turned to her mentor, momentarily basking in the familiar golden warmth of the older tom's presence before answering.

"Yea. Let's go." Basilpaw meowed, trying to ignore Skyfern's eyes burning into the back of her head as they left.

The two medicine cats bounding down the winding, sturdy tree branch that led from their camp in the canopy to the ground. Basilpaw landed with a satisfying crunch on the forest floor, leaves and grass conforming to her pawsteps.

"How long is the walk?" Basilpaw meowed, trotting to keep up with her much larger mentor.

"Long," he meowed. "GladeClan lives further from the Moonglow than any other clan. We need to cross over the river into SteppeClan territory, then it's quite some distance to the coast. After that, we follow the beach until we meet the cliffs, then down the cliffs to the Moonglow."

"Wow," Basilpaw meowed. She had barely seen the border, back when Goldenfur had taken her to the meadows to gather goldenrod. She could scarcely imagine the largeness of the clan's territories, and beyond that? A farm, apparently, and some twoleg dens that had rare herbs.

And past that?

"How far has any cat ever travelled?" Basilpaw asked Goldenfur.

The tom mreowed in amusement. "Well, there's stories of cats who have travelled to high mountains, where cliff faces climb high into the sky, and dark pits go down deep, with no end in sight."

"Scary," Basilpaw replied. "I wouldn't want to go there."

"Neither would I," Goldenfur meowed. "Now, save your breath. We have a long way to go, and we got a late start."

After that two cats moved quickly, silently, occasionally climbing branches and leaping from tree to tree to avoid denser underbrush and shrubbery.

Soon Basilpaw picked up the sweet, delicate scent of flowers, and moments later they broke through the edge of the glade and into the meadow. The meadow was even more beautiful at night; the grass and flowers were all varying shades of silver-blue-purple, bathed in the pale newly risen half-moon light. She filled her lungs with the scent, bathing in it for a few moments before bounding to catch up with her mentor. Tiny moths fluttered around her as she waded through the belly-length flowers. _Beautiful._

The meadows tapered out, ending in a soft slope where the river dividing SteppeClan from GladeClan met the river dividing GladeClan from FloodClan. Goldenfur shimmied up a large, smooth-barked tree, weaving his way onto the lowest branch. Basilpaw followed, moving quickly so her tiny claws wouldn't have a chance to unhook from the bark. She heaved herself onto the branch, but when she finally had a chance to look around, she noticed Goldenfur was already leaping from the end of the branch onto a branch of a tree on the other side of the bank.

 _I'll be okay,_ Basilpaw thought, staring cautiously at the dark water swirling beneath her. _I'll be fine._ In one swift motion she dashed to the end of the branch, launching herself over the water to the branch on the other side. She braced herself, and her claws dug into the bark as her paws hit the surface of the branch. She steadied herself, feeling the traveling herbs churn in her stomach as she looked down at the void below her, thinking of the pits Goldenfur had told her about-

And then she caught her balance, and Basilpaw scurried on, leaping nimbly down the tree and onto the opposite bank. "Good job," Goldenfur meowed with a simple nod.

They walked. For a while they travelled through the pine fields of SteppeClan territory, then through the sparse, sandy grasslands of CoveClan land. They seemed to walk forever, finally reaching the end of CoveClan's scent. "This is the edge of clan territory," Goldenfur explained.

"Are we almost there?" Basilpaw asked, trying not to sound impatient. To her relief, Goldenfur nodded. He waved one paw ahead, and Basilpaw tried to make out what he was gesturing at; it seemed like, up ahead, the grassy ground ended and gave way to nothingness. She bounded curiously over to the anomaly. _It's a cliff,_ she thought, looking over the edge. Far below, waves churned against the stone, and she could make out a white beach nestled in the cove. There were a few silhouettes on the beach, leaving pawprints as they crossed the sand and approached what looked like a cave, carved into the bottom part of the cliff.

"The Moonglow!" Basilpaw exclaimed. She was so close she expected to feel the light of the moon filling her up, but the air was strangely still and quiet. There was none of the starry energy she had been expecting.

"Yes," Goldenfur said. "Follow me."

The golden tom led the way down a path in the cliff, weaving expertly down the well-worn path. They were about halfway down when Goldenfur paused.

"Don't be upset if you don't dream tonight," he meowed slowly.

At first, Basilpaw was shocked into silence. She wondered if her mentor was playing some sort of mean trick on her, but but he kept his eyes to the ground, and there was no playful glimmer in his gaze.

"Why- why wouldn't StarClan speak to me?" she asked. Her heart filled up with despair. "Do you think I'm not meant to be a medicine cat?"

Goldenfur glanced up, almost looking offended. "Of course you are!" he meowed. "You have a natural talent for healing. That's obvious." He sighed, then hesitantly continued. "I should have told you sooner. The truth is... StarClan has not spoken with us- with any cat- in moons."

"What?" Basilpaw breathed. She was absolutely stunned. For a few moments, the only sound was the ocean lapping below them. Goldenfur said nothing, so Basilpaw continued. "Why would they stop speaking to the clans? Are they angry?"

The older medicine cat shrugged limply, and for a scared moment, Basilpaw thought he looked very old, and very tired. "Who knows?" he asked. "There was no warning, no sign that they would go silent. One night, the other medicine cats and I gathered around the pool, and we slept. But once we awoke, we all realized that none of us had dreamt at all."

Basilpaw looked up at the sky, trying to process what she had just heard. The stars, which had always kept her company, now felt lonely and dead- just tiny flecks of light in an inifite black and blue expanse.

"We still come to the Moonglow every half-moon," Goldenfur continued, starting down the path again. "Just in case." Basilpaw followed after a few heartbeats, feeling dejected but not knowing what else to do.

They reached the bottom of the path and crossed the soft, white sand of the beach. She let her mentor take the lead heading into the cave, and as soon as she stepped onto the smooth, stone floor, she knew something was wrong. It was still here, extremely still. Basilpaw's fur pricked on end.

The cave was glowing, pale light emanating from the bottom of a small pool in the middle of the den, covering the ceiling in rippling light. Cats were gathered around speaking to each other. A small, lanky gray tom was the first to greet them, bouncing over to meet the two.

"Hey, Goldenfur!" he meowed cheerily. His gaze flitted over to Basilpaw. "So you're the new apprentice! You weren't at the last gathering. I hope your ward recovered?"

Basilpaw nodded. "He's fine now," she said. "What's your name?"

"Olivepaw," the tom meowed. He turned to the other medicine cats and drew their attention with a waved tail. "Hey, everyone! Goldenfur and his new apprentice is here."

The cats turned, seeming to notice them for the first since they had entered the cave. Unlike Olivepaw, the older cats seemed grave and worried.

"Greetings," Goldenfur meowed, dipping his head. "This is Basilpaw."

"Nice to meet you," a sleek, elegant brown she-cat meowed. "I'm Sunspots. Olivepaw is my apprentice."

"I've been a medicine cat for three moons already," the tom boasted.

"You've been _training_ for three months," a gray-brown tom corrected him. He turned to Basilpaw and introduced himself. "Rosethorn," he meowed, and flicked his tail to the white and gray she-cat sitting beside him. "And my senior, Irisblossom."

"Welcome to the Moonglow," Irisblossom meowed politely.

"And my name is Mellowsong," a long furred gray tom with white paws meowed.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Basilpaw said, and she truly meant it. She felt kinship with these cats- healers, not fighters, like the rest of her clanmates. It would be nice to have other cats to talk to about herbs and dreams-

And then she remembered that StarClan was silent, and her tail fell slightly in disappointment.

"Well... I guess it's time," Irisblossom meowed. She glanced around at the other medicine cats, and there was a shared look of defeat as they pressed their noses to the glowing surface of the pool.

"Remember what I said," Goldenfur meowed lowly, bending down to the water. "Don't take it personally if you don't dream."

All the other cats were dozing, sleeping peacefully, no indication that they were dreaming of anything at all. Basilpaw stared at her reflection in the pool. It was distorted by the rippled, her face cut into silvery pieces. _Is this what my future as a medicine cat will be like?_ she wondered. _Sleeping next to hopeless cats, waiting for a message from cats that died a long time ago? Praying over dead stars?_

The creamy she-cat shook her head. _No,_ she thought determinedly, _I'm a medicine cat. Even if StarClan isn't speaking, they're still out there, somewhere. And one day I will see them._

She pressed her nose against the water and drifted to sleep.

 _It smells like flowers._

Basilpaw opened her eyes and found herself standing in a huge field of violets. It was night time, but the full moon shining overhead lit up the meadow. It stretched on and on out of sight, and she felt very small under the endless night sky.

She scented the air and caught the smell of lavender and violets. She caught the scent of water as a cool breeze blew over her face. Basilpaw realized that there was a stream- no, a river- in front of her, twenty or so foxlengths away.

The apprentice suddenly realized where she was. She was in the meadow on the edge of GladeClan's territory, looking over the river towards the plains of SteppeClan.

Suddenly, Basilpaw's fur stood on end. There was the paralysing sensation of being in a storm right before lightning strikes- electricity sparking through her pelt causing the hair in her ears to tingle uncomfortably.

Somewhere, not far away, grass shifted. Fear filled the young she-cat's heart.

 _Something is here,_ she realized. Her fear had become pure, primitive, instinctual terror. _I'm being hunted._

And then, across the river, there was a light.

At first Basilpaw thought it was the sunrise. It was all red and golden, like fire in the sky. And that's exactly what it was.

The fire raged, coming closer and growing bigger every moment. What had started as a pale golden shine grew into a fire that engulfed the entire opposite bank of the river. She tried to shy away from the blaze, but her paws were glued to the ground.

The fire stopped on the opposite river bank, roaring with heat. Basilpaw watched, helpless, as the fire started to leap over the bank at her, individual tongues of fire shifting into the shape of fiery cats. They flew through the air towards her, their claws extended, mouths open, eyes blazing in the night-

Basilpaw opened her eyes with a short, gaspy breath. The other medicine cats around her were also just rising, blinking the sleep out of their eyes.

 _That was terrible,_ Basilpaw thought, her heart still thumping. _Could that have been a message from StarClan?,_ the she-cat considered. But that feeling of being hunted- that something bad was watching just out of eyesight- well, she refused to believe that that was the StarClan her mother had told her of.

"Anyone have any word?" Irisblossom asked. She looked around hopefull at the rest of the medicine cats, but they all shook their heads. Basilpaw wondered if she should say something, but she couldn't convince herself that StarClan had spoken to her.

"Maybe next time," Rosethorn meowed gently, laying his tail on Irisblossom's shoulder. The she-cat looked absolutely crushed.

"StarClan has abandoned us," she meowed brokenly.

No cat challenged her.

"We'd better head home," Mellowsong meowed. "The moon will be setting soon."

Rosethorn left first, supporting his hurting mentor. Basilpaw would never forget the look in her eyes- a mix of sorrow, fear, and utter hopelessness.

"It was nice meeting you," Olivepaw whispered to Basilpaw as he left with Sunspots. "I'm sorry tonight was so terrible."

"It's okay," she whispered back.

Mellowsong and Goldenfur went next, talking worriedly to each other. Basilpaw followed quietly, thinking about her dream. If it _was_ some kind of message, it would probably mean SteppeClan was some sort of threat.

But if her hunch was true, and that wasn't a sign from StarClan?

Her pelt prickled again, and she had the familiar feeling of being watched as she exited the cave.

* * *

 _Heyo everyone! Sorry this chapter took some time to go up, I've had a little bit of writers block and I'm in the process of trying to move out of state. Anyway, this is a chapter I've been looking forward to writing for some time now- I saw Basilpaw's dream so vividly in my mind and I hope I did a good job translating what I saw. Also, here's something my boyfriend wrote about Basilpaw: her origin story._

 _Chapter Eight_

 _Basilpaw sat in the back of the medicine den, deftly sorting through the pile of herbs in front of her. then she tried to discretly turn a pepperoni pizza into a basil pizza with no sauce! how could she do such a thing? hence forth from the day she was born she loved basil..._

 _So yea that's it for this update. If you feel so inclined, I love reading your reviews and comments. See you all in the next chapter!_


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"Pst! Koipaw! Koipaw, wake up!"

Koipaw groaned irratatedly as he awoke. Sharkpaw was standing over him, nudging him roughly.

"I'm up, stop poking me," Koipaw meowed, voice raspy with sleep. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the apprentice's den, and he could make out Shadowpaw and Saltpaw standing just behind Sharkpaw, whispering excitedly to each other. "What's going on?" he asked, stretching his front legs in front of him and flexing his claws. "We're not being invaded, are we?"

"Of course not," Sharkpaw snorted. "Don't you think you'd realize if there were cats fighting right outside our den?"

"Well, then, why'd you wake me up?"

"We're going swimming," Shadowpaw meowed, her voice quiet yet excited.

"Swimming?" Koipaw asked incredulously.

"Just like when we were kits," Saltpaw meowed, yellow eyes glittering. "Only this time we're going to the tidepools."

Koipaw finally stood up, arching his back to stretch the stiffness out. "Okay, I'll come," he decided. "But why did you want to go swimming in the first place?"

Sharkpaw shrugged. "It won't be long before Shadowpaw and I are apprentices," he pointed out, "and we figured we might as well do something sneaky with you two before we become warriors and have responsibilities."

"You're not scared, are you?" Shadowpaw teased.

"StarClan, no," Koipaw meowed, bounding over to the entrance of the den. "Let's go!"

The four young cats crept out of the apprentice den, moving silently across the camp. Sandshift was sitting sentry at the camp entrance, not having noticed the younger cats yet, and Sharkpaw waved his tail to indicate a better path. He pushed through the long grass surrounding the camp, moving deftly between the scraggly brush and age-old driftwood. _Does Sharkpaw and Shadowpaw sneak out a lot?,_ Koipaw wondered. _Probably._

They soon broke through the dune plants and onto the beach. Moonlight rippled on the water, almost looking like silvery fish on the surface. "The ocean is prettiest at night," Saltpaw breathed dreamily, and Koipaw agreed with her.

Shadowpaw purred and drew her tail over Saltpaw's spine. "Well, that's awfully romantic," he mreowed. "What, are you trying to flirt with my brother or something."

Sharkpaw chuffed in laughted, and Saltpaw's mouth fell open, her fur fluffing up. "What- no! Of course not!" she meowed frantically.

"C'mon, Saltpaw, you know you love me," Sharkpaw purred, puffing his chest.

"Eat fox dung," Saltpaw retorted, pushing the tom away.

"It's okay, Saltpaw," Koipaw meowed good-naturedly. He wrapped on forepaw around Shadowpaw's shoulders. "You can have Sharkpaw, and I'll get Shadowpaw. Sound fair?"

"Not to me," Shadowpaw said, shrugging Koipaw's paw off her. "Gross."

The four apprentices laughed, and starting racing down the beach towards the tidepools, splashing in the lapping tide and throwing water up all around them. Koipaw was always grateful that CoveClan cats could appreciate water- and that they got clean, clear water to swim in, not sludgy marsh water like FloodClan.

The outcrop of rocks that formed the tidepools soon came into view, and as Koipaw raced towards it, a feeling of uneasiness started to grow in his belly. Though he had tried to push the memory away- which wasn't hard due to all the training, hunting, and learning he had been doing lately- he hadn't forgotten the phantom, the thing that had appeared as a shadow and then had pushed him into the pool. Ever since, everytime he went outside of camp he had felt like he had been being... watched. Like something was hunting him from just past his sight.

But that was all nonsense.

The group finally reached the outcrop, and skidded to a halt in front of the rocks, water welling around their paws as they pressed into the wet ground. One by one, they hopped onto the first rock.

A wild yowl split through the night, and Sharkpaw threw himself off of the stone into one of the larger tidepools. Saltpaw followed him, and the two cats broke from the water in unison, churning the clear water into silvery streaks.

Shadowpaw glanced back at Koipaw. Her large ambery eyes fluttered at him, and then she leapt into the water, joining the other apprentices. Koipaw flicked his ears, wiggled his haunches, and plunged into the water.

The warm water enveloped Koipaw's pelt, making him feel weightless. He settled on the floor of the tidepool for a moment, feeling the rocky surface on his paw pads, before pushing up and breaking the surface of the water.

Saltpaw and Shadowpaw were sparring in the shallow part of the pool, rearing up on their hind legs and pushing each other into the water, giggling jovially. Sharkpaw, half submerged, was eyeing Koipaw challengingly, his eyes and nose the only thing visible above the water. With a grin, the calico tom reared out of the water and pushed Sharkpaw over.

The older apprentice rolled out of his reach, and disappeared under the turbulent water. Koipaw looked around, trying to spot Sharkpaw, but before he knew it, the tom exploded from behind him, tackling him into the water with a wild yowl. The two cats went down, and Koipaw opened his eyes under water. Through the darkness he saw Sharkpaw coming after him, his eyes vibrant as he swam towards him.

The calico tom dodged, and Sharkpaw flew past him. The large gray tom tried to reverse his momentum, but Koipaw siezed the opportunity, slamming into his flank. He saw the opposing tom push himself out of the water, and with a feeling of vistory, Koipaw followed.

"S'only cus you're faster..." Sharkpaw panted as he fought to regain his breath. "'Could beat you on land."

"Sure," Koipaw mreowed. "So you're a shark that can't attack underwater?"

"Bite me," Sharkpaw replied with a heart laugh.

Koipaw saw movement out of the side of his eye, and he and Sharkpaw turned at the same time to see Shadowpaw and Saltpaw both staring at them curiously, crouched by the side of the tidepool. They shared a glance.

"Oh no..." Sharkpaw muttered.

The two she-cats leapt at the toms. "Sneak attack!" they shrieked, leaving Koipaw barely enough time to brace himself before he was shoved back into the water.

Despite gulping down a bitter mouthful of saltwater, Koipaw came up laughing, splashing Shadowpaw and Saltpaw jokingly. "Good attack," he mreowed. "We would've been mouse meat if we were invaders."

"You'd be _drowned_ mouse meat," Shadowpaw replied, amber eyes shining.

"Too easy," Saltpaw giggled.

Koipaw groomed his fur, slowly teasing the saltwater out with his tongue. The other three apprentices laid on the stones beside him, basking in the warm night air. His pelt was absolutely drenched, but he didn't mind much; there wasn't a hint of chill in the breeze. He was comfortable.

"We should head back to camp," Saltpaw said sadly, breaking the comfortable silence.

Sharkpaw sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he meowed. He brushed a disinterested paw over the surface of the tidepool.

"It would be horrible if Songstar put off our warrior ceremony," Shadowpaw agreed. The she-cat stood up, stretching her back into a tall arch. "Sad that we're not even supposed to be out right now. I would catch some crabs and bring them home for Milkfur. Have you heard she's expecting kits?"

Koipaw rose from where he was sitting and stretched his hind legs out one at a time to easy the stiffness out of his joints. "Who told you that?" he asked.

"She did!" Shadowpaw replied. "Besides, she's already showing. I'm surprised none of you noticed."

"Maybe you should have become a medicine cat," Sharkpaw joked. His sister snorted at the suggestion. "As if," she retorted as she started down the rocks. "Spending all day out gathering seaweed? No _thanks_."

"Oh, you _know_ that's not all that medicine cats do!" Saltpaw chortled, bouncing to catch up to Shadowpaw, Sharkpaw following right beside her.

Koipaw lifted his paw to follow, but something stopped him. The night was still, he realized. Very still. It felt like all the air around him had been sucked away and replaced with thick, viscous liquid. He almost felt trapped- though, not entirely in danger.

The calico tom ripped his gaze away from the three apprentices growing smaller as they padded back to camp and looked behind himself. It took him a moment for his mind to wrap around what he was seeing, and he almost couldn't believe his eyes when he _did_ make it out.

Pawprints.

Pitch black pawprints, even smaller than his paws. They started only tail lengths away from where he was standing, and looked relatively fresh. He could see them trailing off into the grasslands, stretching across CoveClan territory, and towards the groves of FloodClan.

Into the swamp.

 _Was someone watching us?_ Koipaw wondered, and shivered. Tentatively, he paced over to the nearest pawprint and sniffed it. It didn't smell like cat, or any other animal; it had a faint smell of water baking off rocks in the warm sunlight, but other than that, nothing.

Koipaw backed away from the pawprint. He looked up at the pawprint trail, down at the print, and up again. _Does this have something to do with whatever pushed me in the water the other day?_

The sky was growing gray. It would be dawn soon, and the last thing Koipaw wanted was to get caught sneaking into camp.

 _I'll check this out later,_ Koipaw resolved. He stared at the pawprints, comitting their path to memory, before turning tail and running to catch up with the other apprentices. _Whoever, whatever, you are, I'm going to find you!_

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Kind of a short chapter this time (I've been working like crazy lately). I hope you enjoy! I love reading all your comments and reviews, so please leave some if you like the story so far! Thank you!_


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Feeling better, Weedkit?"

"Mostly," the mottled young tom replied with a shrug, though his eys betrayed slight worry. "Do you think I'm okay, Basilpaw?"

"I think so," the apprentice replied. She couldn't help but feel guilty that she couldn't do more to help Weedkit's near-constant anxiety. The tom, two moons younger but already almost as big as Basilpaw, nodded curtly.

"Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"Nonsense!" Basilpaw meowed. She flicked the younger tom's nose. "Come visit whenever you need to."

Weedkit exited the den, and Basilpaw was left to herself. The medicine den seemed to darken as her thoughts crowded back into her mind.

The half-moon gathering. The dream. The warning.

Basilpaw's cream-colored fur prickled. SteppeClan hadn't done anything, yet, and she wanted to dismiss the dream as just an overactive imagination-after all, why would StarClan choose her to carry the message- but it had all felt so real; the delicate, intoxicating smell of violets, the river, dark and menacing. The fire roaring towards her.

And, oh StarClan, if that _had_ been a sign? If she was keeping a sign from her clan? If her uncertainty led to the injury- death- of her clanmates?

 _Don't think about it,_ she told herself. _Something in that dream was dark. Evil._

But Basilpaw couldn't convince herself.

"Basilpaw!" a voice said from the entrance of the den.

The small she-cat turned around and saw Skyfern standing in the entrance. She was smiling, and her eyes sparkled almost kindly.

"Hi, Skyfern," Basilpaw replied. She padded toward the deputy tentatively. "Are you alright?"

The gray she-cat nodded. "Oh, yes, I'm fine," she mreowed. She placed one paw in the medicine den and tilter her head to one side. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure," Basilpaw meowed, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice. What _was_ it about the Skyfern that made her so uneasy? "Come on in."

Basilpaw led the older she-cat into the den. She sat down as Skyfern inspected the herbs fastened to the walls and hanging from the ceiling.

"Look at all these herbs!" Skyfern meowed approvingly. She reached up a paw and lightly touched a sprig of goldenrod hanging by a piece if grass. "You and Goldenfur have been gathering a lot lately, haven't you?"

"I guess so," Basilpaw replied. "There's a lot of flowering herbs right now."

Skyfern purred as she sat down. "I trained as a medicine cat for a while, you know," she explained. "The medicine cat before Goldenfur taught me for a few moons."

"Really?" Basilpaw asked. Her ears perked with genuine curiosity as she looked up from her work. "Who was medicine cat before Goldenfur?"

"A tom," Skyfern recalled. "Named Stagstep. He was a great teacher."

"What made you take the path of a warrior?"

Skyfern looked uneasy for a moment before answering. "I was never meant to be a medicine cat," she admitted. "Stagstep couldn't stop me from joining my clanmates in battle; I was too impulsive." The gray she-cat mreowed with laughter. "I don't remember much from my apprenticeship. Only that violets are good for cuts. Which reminds me, would you mind gathering some?"

Basilpaw searched Skyfern's face. She was smiling, but not intimidatingly; in fact, she looked kind, her pale blue eyes sparkling pleasantly. _Maybe I've been wrong,_ Basilpaw thought. _Maybe Skyfern really is just trying to be a good deputy. After all, how can a former medicine cat be dangerous?_

"Sure," Basilpaw answered. "Do you know where I can find some?"

"I think there's some on the border of the glade and the meadow, near the old twoleg dumping grounds," Skyfern meowed. She bounded over to Basilpaw in two swift leaps and headbutted her shoulder greatfully. "Thank you, Basilpaw. I'll let Goldenfur know where you are."

"Thanks. I'll try to be quick," the apprentice replied. As she left the medicine den, her spirit felt light, and all worries about her vision evaporated in the sunlight filtering through the leaves above.

Leaves crunched under Basilpaw's pawpads. Buntings flicked in and out between the branches, their indigo feathers flashing in the filtered sunlight, playfully chirping and singing to each other. It was a beautiful Heat-Sky day, and the young she-cat was glad that Skyfern had given her the job. She had spent the past few days sorting and drying herbs, and it was nice to take a quiet walk by herself.

Basilpaw scented the air. She caught the tangy, sharp scent of twoleg refuse, and turned to follow the scent. She had only been taken to the dumping grounds once before- catmint sprouted up between the dead monsters like weeds, and Goldenfur had showed her how he waters the plants and removes any dead leaves.

She remembered the way well, though; it wasn't long before she entered a clearing. In the middle of the clearing were several twoleg monsters, rusted and brown. Several of them were missing eyes, and one of them was missing a head. Sprinkled amongst the catmint were other twoleg belongings- hollow containers made of the same rusty, shiny material as the monsters, rotted slabs of wood, small spikes with one pointed end and a flat disc at the other.

It was strange- unnatural- to see all this twoleg refuse in the middle of the woods. The dumping grounds had a creepy feel to them; Basilpaw shuddered as she passed the monster corpses, their broken eyes seeming to watch her as she hurried past.

Basilpaw breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the other side of the clearing. Only a few trees separted the clearing from the beginning of the meadow, and as she crept towards the sunlight, the smell of twoleg refuse was overpowered by the intoxicating scent of violets. The creamy she-cat stepped out of the shadow of the forest and into the strong sunlight. She swivelled her head, searching for purple, and saw the flowers she was looking for, only a few tree-lengths down the border.

She bounded through the grass, giggling as it tickled her belly fur. In one long leap she leapt into the violets. Purring, Basilpaw flopped onto her side and rolled around in the flowers, luxuriating in their strong scent.

After a few more moments of indulgence, Basilpaw stood to her paws. _Might as well get to work,_ she thought. She bent down, and realized that Skyfern hadn't told her what part of the flower to harvest. _Fox dung!_ Basilpaw exclaimed internally. _Do I need to gather roots, or leaves?_ She sighed. _Guess I'll just have to bring the whole plant._

So the apprentice set to digging. The roots went deep, and the sun was almost setting by the time Basilpaw had only a small pile of violets. She was mentally debating whether she should head back to camp for stay and harvest a few more when something suddenly felt... off. There was the sensation of a dip in air pressure, and electricity prickled her pelt.

It felt like her dream.

Basilpaw crouched, paralysed. Suddenly, the sun set, and it was night. Stars and moon blazed overhead. And racing towards her across the meadow, coming from SteppeClan territory, was a blazing fire. It was made of fiery cats, screaming and yowling, exactly like the dream at the moonglow, only this time even more fierce and terrifying. Their eyes blazed with white heat as they came at her like a wave.

And as the inferno bore down on her, a voice whispered in her ear:

 _Before dawn breaks, fire shall roar across the glade, carried on the dry wind of the steppes._

Basilpaw gasped, her pelt burning, and squeezed her eyes shut. After a heartbeat she snapped them open. These fiery cats were gone, and the night sky was replaced with the sun just beginning to set.

"Another vision," Basilpaw whispered aloud. She stood frozen for a few moments, processing what she had just seen. After some consideration, she scooped up the violets she had collected, and tore off back to camp.

"Goldenfur?"

Basilpaw crept into the medicine den. Her mentor looked up from his work and smiled. "Hi, Basilpaw," he meowed. "You brought back the violets?"

"Yes," she meowed, placing the plants on the ground. "I need to talk to you about something."

The golden tom's face wrinkled in concern. "What's wrong?"

Basilpaw let out a shaky breath. "I... I had a vision."

The young she-cat recounted her vision to her mentor. "It's the second time I've had a warning about SteppeClan," she meowed uncertainly. "I don't know what to do."

Goldenfur's tail flicked worriedly. "Do you have any ideas what it could mean?" he asked.

"Well..." Basilpaw hesitated. "I think... it means that SteppeClan is going to attack. Tonight."

"I think the same thing," Goldenfur agreed grimly. "We need to talk to Thrushstar."

The golden tom sqiftly left the medicine den. Basilpaw trotted after him worriedly. "But what if... what if I'm wrong?" she stammered. "What if it means something else? Cats could get hurt because of me!"

Goldenfur turned to looked at her for a brief second. "Being a medicine cat means making hard decision," he meowed. "You have intuition, Basilpaw. If you think think your vision means that SteppeClan is going to attack, I trust you." Goldenfur's face softened. "What do you think?"

Basilpaw gulped. "I... I think we should tell Flightstar."

Goldenfur nodded, and paced across the tree-hollow that made up the center of camp. Basilpaw lagged behind, her mind swimming with anxiety. She arrived at the leader's den and stood next to her mentor.

Thrushstar and Skyfern with sharing tongues inside the den. The two cats looked up abruptly.

"Goldenfur. Basilpaw," Thrushstar greeted as he dipped his head.

Goldenfur stepped forward. "Thrushstar, there's something you need to hear," the golden tom meowed. The leader's face wrinkled with concern. The medicine cat continued. "Basilpaw has had a vision, and I think it's imperative that you hear what it is."

Thrushstar nodded. "Alright, Basilpaw, go ahead." Skyfern looked on with curious, almost eager, eyes. _Is Thrushstar going to let her stay and listen?_ Basilpaw thought, annoyed.

"I was near the dumping grounds," she whispered. "I was gathering violets on the border of the meadow and the glade. Suddenly it was night time, and it got very, very still, like a storm about to break. I looked up at the river, towards SteppeClan territory, and I saw a fire." Basilpaw shivered as the image played in her head. "As the fire grew closer, I realized they were cats- yowling and clawing to attack me."

Basilpaw could almost see the shadow darken her leader's pelt. His spine bristled. "That pack of foxes," Skyfern snarled. "Do they mean to attack?"

"Basilpaw thinks that they plan attack tonight," Goldenfur meowed. His voice was soft but firm.

"They're coming for our herbs," Thrushstar said, standing up. "Those scrub-dwellers have always been jealous of our rich earth." The tom padded close, and he was shining with a confident fearlessness that he didn't very often have the need to show. He turned his gaze to Basilpaw. "Thank you for sharing your vision," he meowed, his voice grateful and stoic. "You have done a great thing for your clan."

The tom padded out of the den, and Skyfern bounded after her mate. Thrushstar flicked his tail for the medicine cats to follow. Basilpaw trailed behind in a daze. _Thrushstar is furious with SteppeClan,_ she fretted. She sat down next to Goldenfur at the base of the HighBranch, and watched in a stupor as Thrushstar mounted the branch, Skyfern sitting down beside him.

"All cats old enough to cat your own prey, gather beneath the HighBranch for a clan meeting!" Cats gathered in the hollow below. Laurelflower stepped out of the shade of the nursery, Bluebellkit and Weedkit abandoning their game to sit at her paws. Pantherpaw and his mentor, Twinkletoe, deposited some prey onto the fresh-kill pile before joining the meeting.

"StarClan has showed Basilpaw a vision," Thrushstar meowed once the clan had gathered. "SteppeClan is planning to attack us, tonight!"

"Foxhearts," Hickoryfur growled, his brown fur rising.

"We must lead an attack, before they have a chance to," Thrushstar yowled. "Warriors of GladeClan, tonight, we go to battle!"

Thrushstar let out a furious caterwaul, and all of GladeClan joined him- except Basilpaw. Her stomach churned at the thought of her clanmates going into battle, and it made her sick that she was the reason why.

The leader leapt from his place on the HighBranch. "Grassleap, Balmleaf, Hickoryfur, Stingclaw. And Twinkletoe and Pantherpaw. You'll come for the attack. Otterpelt, Beechbranch, and Owlscreech, stay here and guard the camp in case SteppeClan attacks." Thrushstar turned to Basilpaw and Goldenfur. "This battle might be bloody. Both of you, come with us."

"I'm going to battle?" Basilpaw sputtered, but Flightstar had already whipped away. "Of course," Goldenfur meowed. "It was _your_ vision, wasn't it?"

Basilpaw didn't have time to say anything before Flightstar yowled and began leading the war party out of the camp. The young medicine cat followed in the middle of the patrol, her ears burning with guilt under the remaining clan cats proud gazes.

 _GladeClan is going to battle,_ Basilpaw agonized, _and it's all because of me._

* * *

 _wow its been a while! sorry for the hiatus, I've been working a lot and I dont have a lot of time to write. anyway, here's chapter ten. the tension between steppeclan and gladeclan is finally causing breaks in the peace between clans, and basilpaw is... not doing great. poor sensitive basilpaw. anyway you know i love reading your reviews and comments, so please let me know what you think of the story so far! see yall next chapter~_


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